The
Hymen
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It appears that many if not most people are under the impression
that the hymen is located within the vagina. It is, as the
photographs and illustrations on this page reveal, part of the
vulva, external genital organs. It is located outside the vagina.
The hymen is a layer of tissue that partially conceals the vaginal
orifice of some girls and women. The hymen is also referred to as a
girls "cherry" or maidenhead.
During the early stages of fetal development there is no opening
into the vagina. The layer of tissue that conceals the vagina at
this time usually divides incompletely prior to birth. The size and
shape of this opening or openings varies greatly from one girl to
the next. There are girls who do not have a hymen at birth, as the
tissue divides completely while they are still in the womb.
Sometimes, this formation of an opening does not occur, resulting
in an imperforated hymen. A doctor should examine an infant girls
vulva soon after birth to ensure her hymen is not imperforated, as
should a girls parents. (If menses is not permitted to flow freely
from the body, extreme pain and cramping can result during
menarche; a girls first menstrual period.)
The tissues of the vulva are generally very thin and delicate prior
to puberty. Any activity that places tension on the vulvar tissues
may stretch or tear the hymen. As a result, many girls and teens
tear or otherwise dilate their hymen while engaging in physical
activities such sports, horseback riding, inserting and removing
tampons, and while masturbating. A girl may not know this has
occurred, since there may be little or no blood loss or pain
experienced during this event. It may also occur when she is too
young to remember or understand what has occurred.
The presence or absence of a hymen in no way indicates a girl's
virginal state. No one can determine by physical examination alone
whether a woman or teen has engaged in vaginal intercourse. Only
about 50% of teens and women experience bleeding the first time
they have intercourse, so blood stained bed sheets are not a
reliable indicator of prior virginity. The hymen of some women tear
on more than one occasion. There are even hymen that are elastic
enough to permit a penis to enter without tearing, or tear only
partially. This is usually true only if the dilation first occurs
very gradually with fingers or other objects over an extended
period of time. Virginity is a spiritual attribute, not a physical
one.
The hymen does not magically disappear when something is inserted
into the vagina, it will only stretch or tear sufficiently to
permit entry of whatever is being inserted. If for example, a teen
inserts two fingers into her vagina while masturbating, her hymen
may still tear when she has vaginal intercourse for the first time,
since the average penis is larger than her two fingers. A woman who
has had vaginal intercourse may still have hymeneal tissue present;
this remaining tissue can be the cause of pain during intercourse.
If a woman's current partner has a larger penis than her prior
partners, or a couple tries a new technique or position during
intercourse, her hymen may tear again, or for the first time. When
doctors examine preadolescent and adolescent girls for evidence of
sexual abuse, they look for injuries to the hymen; the hymen may
still be intact except for a single tear. Remnants of the hymen are
usually present until a woman delivers a baby
vaginally.
- Article, http://www.the-clitoris.com/f_html/hymen.htm
