Explore some fun and enlightening facts about the hymen in this informative article. Learn about its varied types, debunk myths, and embrace self-education.
The hymen and its, so to speak, integrity are of much less importance these days than they were a couple of decades ago. And even now, many people don’t know that it doesn’t actually break!
1. It comes in different shapes and sizes.
Like some other parts of the body, hymens can be very different. Essentially, it is a thin semicircular piece of tissue with an opening, located 1-2 cm from the entrance to the vagina.
2. It is not only found in humans
For example, the female elephant’s hymen breaks only during childbirth. The purpose of the hymen has not yet been precisely determined: most likely, it is to protect the younger generation from infections.
3. It doesn’t need to be pierced.
Some people call the hymen a cherry that needs to be popped to get the juice. Not the best metaphor! The “juice” refers to possible light bleeding due to the stretching of the hymen. It does not break!
4. It doesn’t disappear after sex.
Another common myth: The hymen remains in the body forever, it just usually doesn’t cause any more unpleasant sensations after the first sex.
5. Not everyone has blood.
According to statistics, less than half of women have it! For some, this film is very thin, someone could have overdone it with physical activity (for example, riding a bike), and for someone it stretched well during sex without painful sensations.
6. Sometimes she can be seen outside
Since the hymen is located near the entrance to the vagina, it can in principle be seen. But there is nothing interesting there: a thin pink bulge.
Some girls are born without a hymen at all.
8. For some people it is very strong.
And even repeated sexual intercourse cannot stretch it normally. Then you have to resort to surgical methods. But this happens very rarely.
9. The virginity test is a myth!
From the previous points it is clear that not everyone bleeds after their first sex, so basing the assumption on this whether the bride is a virgin or not is pointless
10. There is no point in the existence of the hymen
It’s just a thin, elastic tissue that remains after the vagina is formed and serves no purpose. The hymen has no biological purpose—it doesn’t even indicate whether a woman is having sex: in many, the fold is so small that penetration doesn’t affect it.
11. There is no “standard” hymen
Some are ring-shaped, others are crescent-shaped, some are thicker, others are denser. There is, for example, a septate hymen – it has an extra strip of tissue that connects the upper and lower edges of the vagina: it looks as if the vagina has two entrances.
12. The hymen changes with age
At birth, the hymen is thick and most often has the shape of a ring; with age, it becomes thinner and more elastic and more resembles a crescent.
13. A gynecological examination does not affect the hymen in any way.
Many girls are afraid that the speculum used by the doctor can damage the hymen. But this is not true – the instrument passes through the opening of the hymen without any effect on it. The exception is perhaps the so-called “blind” hymen without openings, but such a pathology requires intervention – after all, the film does not allow menstrual blood to flow out.