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While discussing sexual intercourse, you may have heard things like: “Have you popped the cherry?” or “Was your first time so painful you knew it was good?” And other strange stuff casually thrown around in conversations about the hymen.
And it’s incredible how a small bit of tissue can cause so much misunderstanding.
The hymen is often misunderstood, even by those of us who have one. And that misunderstanding can lead to other misunderstandings about the female body.
According to Young Women’s Health, the hymen is a thin membrane around the vaginal opening. In most cases, it looks like a half moon.
The hymen is part of your external sex organs. On the outside, your reproductive system looks relatively simple. These external organs make up the vulva .
Surrounding much of the vulva is the labia. Called the vaginal lips , the labia majora, and labia minora lead to your vaginal opening.
At the front is the clitoris. It’s almost as misunderstood as the hymen, but basically, it’s the female equivalent of a penis. The clitoris is a small erectile structure at the front, and most of it is hidden under the skin.
Behind the clitoris is the urethra, which is where urine, or pee, exits your body. The next part is the vaginal opening. Finally, there’s the hymen, which usually sits just behind and over your vaginal opening.
That is where to look to find your own hymen.
As with many things related to sexual health, there’s no such thing as normal hymens. They come in all shapes and sizes.
While your hymen is unique to you, there are a few common types of hymens. According to Young Women’s Health, these types are fairly general.
The first type is considered normal, though this isn’t entirely accurate. A better name might be annular. These hymens have that half moon shape around, but not covering, the vaginal opening.
It’s also possible for hymens to be microperforated . These hymens cover more of the vaginal opening, but they still don’t cover it completely.
The third type of hymens is imperforate . This is when extra membrane covers the vaginal opening. Since it stops menstrual blood from flowing, it can cause pain in your abdomen and back. An imperforate hymen affects 1 out of every 1,000 to 10,000 women.
Luckily, a doctor can remove the excess tissue with minor surgery.
The next main type of hymen is septate. Septate hymens have a band of tissue that spans the middle of the opening. It can look like you have two vaginal openings, even though that’s not the case. Women with septate hymens can have surgery to remove the band.
Cribriform hymens occur when there are multiple small holes in the hymen. It allows menstrual blood to flow out, but it can make having sex or inserting a tampon more challenging.
The last type of hymen is the parous introitus. These hymens are mostly or entirely absent. It’s fairly common for women who’ve given birth, though women without kids can have it, too.
Contrary to popular belief, it is very rare that the hymen disappears. What really happens is that it stretches over time.
Hymens tear, they do not break. The phrase “pop the cherry” is inaccurate.
While these hymens are common, plenty of other types exist and are normal. Make sure you always get regular checkups from your doctor, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about your hymen’s appearance.
In most cases, your hymen is probably healthy, even if it doesn’t look that way. But talking to your doctor is always a good thing. And it can even stop perpetuating some common myths about hymens.
Contrary to popular belief , an intact hymen doesn’t prove a woman’s virginity. In the same way, a torn hymen doesn’t mean that a woman is not a virgin.
Of course, the hymen can tear during intercourse, and it can cause pain and bleeding. However, not everyone experiences said pain. Possibly the most common myth about hymens is that you can use them to “prove” whether a woman is a virgin or not.
One study, published by Psychology Today, found that 52 percent of women who admitted to having sexual intercourse still had intact hymens. And while other sexually active women had hymenal changes, it is nearly impossible to prove those changes were from having sex.
Hymens can easily remain intact due to their elasticity. According to Psychology Today, the production of estrogen during puberty makes hymens more elastic and thus able to stretch.
While your hymen can tear during intercourse, that’s not the only trigger. We can’t prove someone has had sex because their hymen is torn. The shape and size of your hymen don’t matter when it comes to virginity.
Furthermore, some women are born with less hymenal tissue, so it looks like they don’t have a hymen. And in most cases, your hymen can stretch to accommodate tampons, menstrual cups, and yes, sexual intercourse.
And as we mentioned, many things can cause hymens to stretch or tear.
Activities like horseback riding or certain sports can tear your hymen. Hymens can also tear when inserting tampons, fingers, or sex toys. Riding a bicycle or doing splits can also change your hymen.
If your hymen is torn, that’s nothing to worry about.
Understanding your female anatomy is important for many reasons. First, knowing what your body usually looks like allows you to detect problems.
While you might not be able to stop hymenal myths from spreading, you can educate yourself and avoid contributing to the problem. You can also talk to your friends and tell them those myths aren’t true.
Everyone should understand what their body looks like and the different parts involved. A lot of us learn about human anatomy in school. We learn about our bones, muscles, and major organs.
But sexual education isn’t as advanced. You probably learn about the basics, like the vagina , uterus , and ovaries . However, it’s easy for hymens to slip through the cracks.
While hymens don’t have much of a purpose, they’re the source of misunderstandings about the female body.
Embracing your body isn’t easy, but learning about even the smallest parts can help. The more you know about hymens and your reproductive system, the less intimidated you will feel about them.
Many of these myths about hymens are harmful to women. You can’t prove virginity with the hymen or anything else physical, for that matter.
But that belief can hugely affect anything from budding sexual relationships to court cases. A lot of things can cause hymens to tear, so it should have no place in “deciding” a women’s virginity status.
And the misconception that sex is supposed to hurt can make women feel pressured to continue with sex when they don’t want to. No one, woman or man, should ever feel pressured to do something when they’re in pain.
While other myths aren’t as major, they can still have an adverse effect. Saying hymens break instead of tear is simply incorrect. That misconception further fuels the belief that women with torn hymens aren’t virgins.
Myths about the hymen’s location also further the debate about a woman’s virginity.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to slowly change our view on hymens. First, you can stop spreading hymenal myths.
You can also educate yourself on hymens and your entire reproductive system. A better understanding can have positive effects, even with such a misunderstood topic. Next time you hear someone perpetuate a myth about hymens, you can give them the facts.
Finally, next time you visit the doctor, be sure to ask them any questions you have. Your doctor is a professional, and it’s their job to have expert knowledge on the subject.
It will take some time before everyone fully understands hymens. But every bit of knowledge helps.
Hymens are at the center of a lot of misinformation. These membranes sit around your vaginal opening, and they don’t serve much of a purpose.
However, they’re the source for a lot of contention. From myths like “pop the cherry” to a sheer lack of proper education, hymens can’t seem to catch a break.
Even with all of the misconceptions, women should be proud of their hymens. It’s not a marker of your virginity, but it’s certainly important enough to make such an impact on society.
While the myths and misconceptions are quite damaging to women, education could be the solution to stop those myths.
Hymens are all unique, so the notion that they can “prove” something makes no sense. However, these myths can be a great way to start conversations about hymens.
So the next time you hear someone say that sex is supposed to hurt, you’ll know the truth.
Have you heard any weird hymen myths? Let us know in the comment section below.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Membrane that surrounds or partially covers the external vaginal opening
This article is about the vaginal membrane. For the village, see Heyman, Iran . For other uses, see Hymen (disambiguation) .
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Heger, Astrid H.; Emans, S. Jean, eds. (2000). Evaluation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas (PDF) (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 61–65. ISBN 9780195074253 . Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2018 . Retrieved July 8, 2018 .
^ Jump up to: a b c Perlman, Sally E.; Nakajyma, Steven T.; Hertweck, S. Paige (2004). Clinical protocols in pediatric and adolescent gynecology . Parthenon. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-84214-199-1 .
^ Jump up to: a b Lahoti, Sheela L.; McClain, Natalie; Girardet, Rebecca; McNeese, Margaret; Cheung, Kim (March 1, 2001). "Evaluating the Child for Sexual Abuse" . American Family Physician . 63 (5): 883–92. ISSN 0002-838X . PMID 11261865 .
^ Jump up to: a b Heger, Astrid H.; Emans, S. Jean, eds. (2000). Evaluation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas (PDF) (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 122. ISBN 9780195074253 . Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2018 . Retrieved July 8, 2018 .
^ Mishori, R.; Ferdowsian, H.; Naimer, K.; Volpellier, M.; McHale, T. (June 3, 2019). "The little tissue that couldn't – dispelling myths about the Hymen's role in determining sexual history and assault - Fact 1A" . Reproductive Health . 16 (1): 74. doi : 10.1186/s12978-019-0731-8 . PMC 6547601 . PMID 31159818 .
^ Jump up to: a b c d "The Hymen" . University of California, Santa Barbara . Retrieved September 19, 2020 . While some females bleed the first time they have penetrative intercourse, not every female does. This depends on many factors, such as how much hymenal tissue a female has, whether her hymen has already been stretched or torn, or how thick and elastic it is.
^ Jump up to: a b Rogers, Deborah J; Stark, Margaret (August 8, 1998). "The hymen is not necessarily torn after sexual intercourse" . BMJ: British Medical Journal . 317 (7155): 414. doi : 10.1136/bmj.317.7155.414 . ISSN 0959-8138 . PMC 1113684 . PMID 9694770 .
^ Jump up to: a b Emma Curtis, Camille San Lazaro (February 27, 1999). "Appearance of the hymen in adolescents is not well documented" . BMJ: British Medical Journal . 318 (7183): 605. doi : 10.1136/bmj.318.7183.605 . PMC 1115047 . PMID 10037658 . We agree with Rogers and Stark that so called rupture and bleeding of the hymen is not to be routinely expected after first sexual intercourse.
^ Jump up to: a b Knight, Bernard (1997). Simpson's Forensic Medicine (11th ed.). London: Arnold. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-7131-4452-9 .
^ Hegazy, Abdelmonem; Al-Rukban, Mohammed (January 1, 2012). "Hymen: Facts and conceptions" . The Health . 3 (4). ISSN 2219-8083 . Possible explanations for the lack of genital trauma include... acute injuries occur but heal completely.
^ Healey, Andrew (2012). "Embryology of the female reproductive tract". In Mann, Gurdeep S.; Blair, Joanne C.; Garden, Anne S. (eds.). Imaging of Gynecological Disorders in Infants and Children . Medical Radiology. Springer. pp. 21–30. doi : 10.1007/978-3-540-85602-3 . ISBN 978-3-540-85602-3 .
^ Jump up to: a b c McCann, J; Rosas, A. and Boos, S. (2003) "Child and adolescent sexual assaults (childhood sexual abuse)" in Payne-James, Jason; Busuttil, Anthony and Smock, William (eds). Forensic Medicine: Clinical and Pathological Aspects, Greenwich Medical Media: London, a)p.453, b)p.455 c)p.460.
^ Jump up to: a b Heger, Astrid ; Emans, S. Jean; Muram, David (2000). Evaluation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas (Second ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-19-507425-3 .
^ Pugno, Perry (1999). "Genital Findings in Prepubertal Girls Evaluated for Sexual Abuse" . American Medical Association . CiteSeerX 10.1.1.522.1894 . {{ cite journal }} : Cite journal requires |journal= ( help )
^ "Bodies without evidence" . The Sydney Morning Herald . September 21, 2002 . Retrieved July 13, 2021 . {{ cite news }} : CS1 maint: url-status ( link )
^ Callahan, Tamara L.; Caughey, Aaron B. (2009). Blueprints Obstetrics and Gynecology . Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 9780781782494 .
^ Lardenoije, Céline; Aardenburg, Robert; Mertens, Helen (May 26, 2009). "Imperforate hymen: a cause of abdominal pain in female adolescents" . BMJ Case Reports . 2009 : bcr0820080722. doi : 10.1136/bcr.08.2008.0722 . ISSN 1757-790X . PMC 3029536 . PMID 21686660 .
^ "Imperforate hymen" . medlineplus.gov . United States National Library of Medicine . 2021.
^ "Congenital Anomalies of the Hymen" . brighamandwomens.org . Brigham and Women's Hospital .
^ "Imperforate Hymen" . mountsinai.org . Mount Sinai Hospital (Brooklyn) .
^ "Cribriform Hymen" . texaschildrens.org . Texas Children's Hospital .
^ "Septate Hymen" . childrenshospital.org . Boston Children's Hospital .
^ Jump up to: a b Loeber, Olga (2008). "Over het zwaard en de schede; bloedverlies en pijn bij de eerste coïtus Een onderzoek bij vrouwen uit diverse culturen" (PDF) . Tijdschrift voor Seksuologie (in Dutch). Vol. 32. pp. 129–137 . Retrieved September 7, 2018 .
^ Amy, Jean-Jacques (January 2008). "Certificates of virginity and reconstruction of the hymen". The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care . 13 (2): 111–113. doi : 10.1080/13625180802106045 . ISSN 1362-5187 . PMID 18465471 . S2CID 37484764 .
^ Weis, David L. (1985). "The experience of pain during women's first sexual intercourse: Cultural mythology about female sexual initiation". Archives of Sexual Behavior . 14 (5): 421–438. doi : 10.1007/BF01542003 . PMID 4062539 . S2CID 6427129 .
^ Jump up to: a b c White, C., & McLean, I. (May 1, 2006). "Adolescent complainants of sexual assault; injury patterns in virgin and non-virgin groups". Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine . 13 (4): 172–180. doi : 10.1016/j.jcfm.2006.02.006 . ISSN 1353-1131 . PMID 16564196 . Hymen injury was noted in 40 (50.6%) participants of the virgin group, but only 11 (12.4%) of the non-virgin group {{ cite journal }} : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link )
^ Adams, Joyce A.; Girardin, Barbara; Faugno, Diana (May 2000). "Signs of genital trauma in adolescent rape victims examined acutely" . Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology . 13 (2): 88. doi : 10.1016/S1083-3188(00)00015-2 . ISSN 1083-3188 . PMID 10869972 .
^ Jump up to: a b c Adams, Joyce A.; Girardin, Barbara; Faugno, Diana (November 1, 2001). "Adolescent Sexual Assault: Documentation of Acute Injuries Using Photo-colposcopy". Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology . 14 (4): 175–180. doi : 10.1016/S1083-3188(01)00126-7 . ISSN 1083-3188 . PMID 11748013 . The incidence of hymenal tears in self-described virgins was higher than in nonvirgins (19% vs. 3%, P .008);
^ Adams, Joyce A.; Botash, Ann S.; Kellogg, Nancy (March 2004). "Differences in hymenal morphology between adolescent girls with and without a history of consensual sexual intercourse" . Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine . 158 (3): 280–285. doi : 10.1001/archpedi.158.3.280 . ISSN 1072-4710 . PMID 14993089 . Subjects who admitted having past intercourse still had non disrupted, intact hymens in 52% of cases.
^ Jump up to: a b "New York Times Is Wrong about Hymens--But They Are Not Alone" . Psychology Today . Retrieved September 8, 2018 .
^ Slaughter, Laura; Brown, Carl R.V.; Crowley, Sharon; Peck, Roxy (March 1997). "Patterns of genital injury in female sexual assault victims". American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology . 176 (3): 609–616. doi : 10.1016/s0002-9378(97)70556-8 . ISSN 0002-9378 . PMID 9077615 .
^ Reading, Richard (December 12, 2007). "Healing of hymenal injuries in prepubertal and adolescent girls: a descriptive study". Child: Care, Health and Development . 34 (1): 137–138. doi : 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2007.00818_7.x . ISSN 0305-1862 . Of the girls who sustained ‘superficial’, ‘intermediate,’ or ‘deep’ lacerations, 15 of 18 prepubertal girls had smooth and continuous appearing hymenal rims, whereas 24 of 41 adolescents' hymens had a normal, ‘scalloped’ appearance and 30 of 34 had no disruption of continuity on healing. The final ‘width’ of a hymenal rim was dependent on the initial depth of the laceration. No scar tissue formation was observed in either group of girls.
^ Goodyear-Smith, Felicity A.; Laidlaw, Tannis M. (June 8, 1998). "Can tampon use cause hymen changes in girls who have not had sexual intercourse? A review of the literature". Forensic Science International . 94 (1–2): 147–153. doi : 10.1016/S0379-0738(98)00053-X . ISSN 0379-0738 . PMID 9670493 .
^ Emans, S.Jean; Woods, Elizabeth R.; Allred, Elizabeth N.; Grace, Estherann (July 1, 1994). "Hymenal findings in adolescent women: Impact of tampon use and consensual sexual activity". The Journal of Pediatrics . 125 (1): 153–160. doi : 10.1016/S0022-3476(94)70144-X . ISSN 0022-3476 . PMID 8021768
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