The Female Hymen and its Significance
All women are born with a hymen, a thin piece of skin that partially covers the opening of the vaginal opening, or introitus. The main purpose of the hymen appears to be protection of the vaginal opening and the areas immediately surrounding the introitus during a female's early developing years. Yet many cultures place significant amount of importance on the hymen, focusing on whether or a not a young female has one. The reason that this small and seemingly insignificant piece of tissue of is of such great importance is that an intact hymen may indicate the chastity of a woman. The presence of the hymen implies that the woman is a virgin. The importance of a female's chastity is often emphasized in particular in patriarchal societies and by traditional religions. Presumably a chaste bride values fidelity and will guarantee that the conceived offspring will be that of the father's.
Most differences in the genitalia don't have anything to do with sexual functioning, or dysfunction. In other words, penile size doesn't necessarily determine how good a man is going to be in bed, and clitoral size doesn't limit or enhance the length or strength of a woman's orgasm. Larger breasts aren't necessarily more sensitive than smaller ones and the shape or color of the penis has no relationship to the chance of having premature ejaculation. In most cases, the way we function in the bedroom is related to how comfortable we are with our bodies. So embrace and enjoy your own individuality, and it's safe to assume that your partner will too.
The hymen is attached to the labia minora (inner lips) of the vulva and can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. The most common are annular, septate, cribriform, and imperforate hymen. The first three types of hymen partially cover the vaginal opening, allowing the menstrual flow to escape and for a tampon to be inserted with ease. In the rare case of an imperforate hymen, the tissue completely covers the introitus, but this can be remedied with a simple, painless procedure.
The problem, however, is that if a woman does not have an intact hymen, she may still be a virgin. A woman may not have a hymen for a variety of different reasons. Many women tear their hymen, enlarging the hole, through nonsexual activities--such as engaging in sports, horseback riding, insertion of tampons, etc that put tension on their hymeneal tissue. Women are often not even aware that their hymen has torn, since there may be little or no blood and no pain. Furthermore, the hymen can stretch sufficiently to permit entry of tampons and sometimes even a penis. Sexual intercourse is only one of many reasons why a woman may not have a hymen. However in the societies that emphasize the importance of a hymen, a woman without a hymen may be at risk on her wedding night.
The woman who does not have an intact hymen on her wedding night may be judged as to be a non-virgin. She may risk being shunned by her family and new husband. The woman may even be returned to her family as "used goods," stoned to death, or banished from her society.
The hymen carries a great deal of importance and symbolism even in the United States. Men and boys alike are sometimes eager to "pop the cherry" of a girl, though the reasons for this are unclear. If a girl does not have a hymen, but loses her virginity to her boyfriend, did he in fact "pop the cherry?" In this case, the word "cherry" is clearly associated with virginity. This is obviously a very false association, but unfortunately one that lingers. We can only hope that as more and more people begin to understand the basics of human sexuality, these false myths will be eradicated.
Hymen Illustrations
We have received many questions about hymens. The following pictures and their captions are designed to help people better understand the hymen.
This shows the hymen and other vaginal structures.
This is called an annular hymen for its perfect circular shape. With sexual activity or masturbation it will become stretched or torn and lose its circular shape.
This is a rare form of a hymen with tissue that acts as a bridge across the vaginal opening.
This is a rare fimbriated hymen.
This is a rare cribriform hymen. It allows bodily fluids to exit the body, but may create some problems when it comes to sexual activity or insertion of a tampon.
This is called a crescentic hymen for the half-moon shape it creates above or below the vaginal opening.
This shows a hymen that is starting to be stretched or torn.
This is the hymen of a woman who has given birth. The hymenal tissue is almost completely gone, pushed off to the sides.
This is rare hymen that looks like a third set of vulvar lips.
One in two thousand girls are born with an imperforate hymen (with no hole in it). Surgery will be done to create a hole in the hymen.
To help further your knowledge about the hymen, here are some frequently asked questions regarding it:
- Virginity/Hymen, Is my bleeding normal?
- What happens to the hymen after intercourse?
- Bleeding after Sex
- More Foreplay
- Can I lose my virginity by masturbating?
- Does masturbating cause loss of virginity?
- When my cherry pops but there is no cum can I get pregnant?
- More Foreplay
Sources
Abbara. (2006) Illustrations of the Hymen in Various States. http://www.aly-abbara.com/