Hymen
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Illustration of the female sex organs with hymen |
The
hymen (or
maidenhead) is a membranous
tissue structure that partially or completely obstructs the
vaginal opening. The term comes from a
Greek word meaning "membrane". Usually in the form of a ring around the vaginal opening, it may also be a perforated or septate membrane, or in rare cases it may completely block the vaginal opening. The hymen has no known anatomical function. The greatest significance of the hymen is a traditional belief that an intact hymen indicates the a state of intact
virginity, a belief which is now known to be frequently erroneous.
Many mammals have hymens, including (but not limited to) llamas, guinea pigs, bush babies, manatees, moles, toothed whales, chimpanzees, elephants, rats, lemurs and seals.
Because of the belief that first vaginal penetration would usually tear this membrane and cause bleeding, its "intactness" has been considered a guarantor of
virginity in societies that place a high value on female
chastity before marriage. However, the hymen is a poor indicator of whether a woman has actually engaged in sexual intercourse because a normal hymen does not completely block the vaginal opening. The normal hymen is never actually "intact" since there is always an opening in it. Furthermore, there is not always bleeding at first vaginal penetration. The blood that is sometimes, but not always, observed after first penetration can be due to tearing of the hymen, but it can also be from injury to nearby tissues. Post-injury, injuries to the hymen and surrounding tissues often quickly heal, leaving the hymenal tissue looking as if there had been no injury at all[
1]
A tear to the hymen, medically referred to as a "transection," can be seen in a small percentage of women or girls after first penetration. A transection is caused by penetrating trauma. Masturbation and tampon insertion are generally not forceful enough to cause penetrating trauma to the hymen (Bays in Reece, 2001: 297). Straddle injuries due to sports like bicycling, horseback riding, or gymnastics do not cause transections. Straddle injuries generally cause injuries over the pubic bone, tailbone, or to either side of the vaginal opening. Since straddle injuries are not penetrating injuries, they do not cause transections of the hymen (Bays in Reece, 2001: 295-6).
Also, there are surgeons who claim to be able to surgically restore a woman's hymen for those who believe in its reliability as an indicator of virginity.
Therefore, for all of the above reasons, the appearance of the hymen is not a reliable indicator of virginity or chastity. Nevertheless, many cultures still believe that the hymen is an indicator of chastity, due to ignorance of more recent scientific knowledge. One way in which the woman's virginity is tested is by examining her bedlinens for bloodspots after her first night with her new husband. But as mentioned above, not all women bleed during their first vaginal penetration. This can cause serious problems for women in these cultures, as a woman's chastity before marriage is connected to her family's honor; these women can be the victims of so called honor crimes. Many women have even been murdered by their families because they were seen to have harmed the families honor. Such honor killings have even occured among immigrants in Western countries. Many fearful young women have turned to medical professionals for help; others even refrain from strenuous activities like exercise. [
2]
Reference: "Conditions Mistaken for Child Sexual Abuse," Bays, J in Child Abuse: Medical Diagnosis and Management, Reece RM and Ludwig S, eds. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001.
The size and shape of this opening (or openings) vary greatly from person to person. Sometimes, women are born with no hymen at all, while (equally rarely) others have a closed or imperforate hymen. These women may require a
gynecologist to perform a medical procedure called a
hymenotomy to allow menstrual products to escape. Still other women have unusually thick hymens that may require a hymenotomy to prevent pain for the woman during
sex. In a woman or girl past puberty, the general structure of the hymen can be compared to a hair scrunchie in that it is elastic and stretches open easily (for a picture of a hair scrunchie go to http://www.bishopstontrading.co.uk/catalogue/bags/xmas05scrunchieL.jpg). Some other common forms of hymen are:
* Annular – in which the hymen forms a ring around the vaginal opening.
* Septate – in which the hymen has one or more bands extending across the opening.
* Cribriform – in which the hymen stretches completely across the vaginal opening, but is perforated with several holes.
* Parous Introitus – which refers to the vaginal opening which has had a baby pass through it and consequently has nothing left of its hymen but a fleshy irregular outline decorating its perimeter. It is important to note that some women have completely normal hymens (all tissue still there and not injured) even after giving birth.
During the early stages of fetal development there is no opening into the
vagina at all. The thin layer of tissue that covers the vagina at this time usually divides to a certain extent prior to birth, forming the hymen. In a very small percentage of female births, this tissue has divided completely, and the baby is born without a hymen.
In late 2005 Monica Christiansson, former maternity ward nurse and Carola Eriksson, a PhD student at
Umeå University announced that according to studies of medical literature and practical experience, the hymen should be considered a social and cultural myth, based on deeply rooted stereotypes of womens' roles in sexual relations with men. Christiansson and Eriksson support their claims by pointing out that there are no accurate medical descriptions of what a hymen actually consists of. Statistics presented by the two show that fewer than 30% of all women who have gone through puberty and have consensual intercourse bleed the first time. Christiansson has expressed an opinion that the use of the term "hymen" should be discontinued and that it should be considered an integral part of the vaginal opening.
The slang term "cherry" is also commonly used as a reference to a woman's hymen. Specifically, the phrase "popping the/her cherry" indicates a loss of a woman's virginity. The cherry may have been chosen because its bright red color and juice is similar to blood, and the fact that some women bleed when having intercourse for the first time.
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Hymen gallery - Illustrations of hymen types (no explicit photos)
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Pink Parts - "Walk through" of female sexual anatomy by noted sex activist and educator Heather Corinna (explicit photos)
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Magical Cups and Bloody Brides the historical context of
virginity in a frank and easy-to-understand manner.
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20 Questions About Virginity - Interview with Hanne Blank, author of an upcoming book on virginity. Discusses relationship between hymen and concept of virginity.
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Nerikes Allehanda's article on Christiansson's and Erikisson's research 
