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Advicenators discussion: Hymen
karenR wrote Tuesday November 3 2009, 7:01 am:
Overview
A common misconception about the hymen is that it is inside the vagina. It is actually a mucous membrane that is part of the vulva, the external genital organs. It is formed from a layer of tissue that develops in the early stages of fetal development when there is no opening in the vagina at all. This thin layer of tissue conceals the vagina but usually divides incompletely prior to birth, forming the hymen.
Sometimes this formation of an opening does not occur and results in a hymen that lacks the more common opening. Some females have no hymen at birth at all, since the tissue divided completely while they were still in the womb. The size and shape of this opening (or openings) varies greatly from person to person.
The hymen is also not an indicator of virginity. The tissues of the vulva are generally very thin and delicate prior to puberty, so many girls and teens tear or dilate their hymen while participating in sports like bicycling, horseback riding, gymnastics or while inserting tampons. A girl may not even know this has occurred, since there may be little or no blood or pain involved when this happens. Remnants of the hymen are usually still present until a woman delivers a baby vaginally.
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karenR wrote Tuesday November 3 2009, 7:02 am:
Types of Hymens:
A Guide for Teens
Hymen: a thin membrane that surrounds the opening to a young woman's vagina. Hymens can come in different shapes. The most common hymen is shaped like a half moon. This shape allows menstrual blood to flow out of a girl's vagina.
Imperforate hymen: An imperforate hymen can be diagnosed at birth but sometimes the diagnosis isn't made until the teen years. An imperforate hymen is a thin membrane that completely covers the opening to a young girl's or young woman's vagina. Menstrual blood cannot flow out of the vagina. This usually causes the blood to back up into the vagina and the abdomen (belly) resulting in abdominal and/or back pain. Some teens may also have pain with bowel movements and difficulty passing urine.
The treatment for an imperforate hymen is minor surgery to remove the extra hymenal tissue and create a normal sized vaginal opening so that menstrual blood can flow out of the vagina.
Microperforate hymen: A microperforate hymen is a thin membrane that almost completely covers the opening to a young women's vagina. Some menstrual blood may be able to flow out of the vagina but the opening is very small. A teen with a microperforate hymen usually will not be able to get a tampon into her vagina and may not realize that she has a very tiny opening. If she is able to put a tampon into her vagina she may not be able to remove it when it becomes filled with blood. The treatment is minor surgery to remove the extra hymenal tissue making a normal sized opening for menstrual blood to flow out.
Septate hymen: A septate hymen is when the thin hymenal membrane has a band of extra tissue in the middle that causes two small vaginal openings instead of one. Teens with a septate hymen may have trouble getting a tampon in or trouble getting a tampon out. The treatment for a septate hymen is minor surgery to remove the extra band of tissue and create a normal sized vaginal opening.
Photos on website.
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karenR wrote Tuesday November 3 2009, 7:04 am:
A hymen is the thin piece of tissue that partially blocks the entrance to the vagina. It is sometimes called the maidenhead or cherry. It is named after the Greek god of marriage and has no known biological function.
Although some women are born without a hymen, most have one, and the hymen varies in size and shape from woman to woman. The hymen usually does not cover the entire vaginal opening, since there must be some way for the menstrual fluid, or period, to leave the body.
Hymen — A Marker of Virginity?
The hymen has historically been a marker of a woman's virginity. The belief that since the hymen blocked the vaginal opening, it should remain intact as long as a woman did not have sexual intercourse was widely propagated, especially in cultures where a woman's virginity was highly valued.
If an unmarried woman's hymen was found to be separated, grave consequences could result, depending on each culture's customs. In some Australian tribes it is the custom for a specially appointed older woman to perforate the hymen of a bride one week before her marriage. If it is found that the hymen has already separated from the vaginal walls prior to this ritual, the woman is subject to public humiliation, torture, and sometimes death.
But it is scientific fact that the hymen can be separated for reasons quite unconnected to sexual intercourse. It can separate when the body is stretched strenuously, as in athletics; it can be separated by inserting a tampon during menstruation or through masturbation; and sometimes it is separated for no apparent reason.
A separated hymen is not an indication of having had intercourse, nor can it prove a loss of virginity. In fact, some women must have their hymen surgically removed before the birth of their first child because it is so flexible or small that it remains intact during intercourse.
When the hymen is separated, whether during first intercourse or at some other time, there may be some slight bleeding and a little pain. Both the bleeding and the pain are quite normal and both usually stop after a short time. Some women experience no discomfort at all during this process that is commonly referred to as "losing your cherry".
It is important to remember that a woman can become pregnant even if her hymen is intact and no penis has entered her vagina. If sperm comes in contact with the labia or general vaginal area, it can move through the opening in the vagina and possibly lead to a pregnancy. An intact hymen should not be considered a form of birth control.
Know the Facts About the Hymen: Normalize Fears
As with most information on sexuality, a woman learns about her hymen in many ways, but rarely from parents, physicians or informed adults in a supportive and sensitive manner. Rather, it seems that women learn about the hymen in ways that promote anxiety and uncertainty about their own bodies and behaviors.
Knowing the facts about the hymen can help women dispel the myth that it proves virginity, freeing them from the negative effects of popular mythology. Having accurate information about the hymen can assist in normalizing a woman's fears about her body and help promote greater self-acceptance.
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