"Hymen" derives from the Greek for membrane. Hymen was also the Greek god of marriage. These two facts summarize the conventional wisdom about this widely misunderstood tissue, that this fabled membrane covers the vaginal opening, and is "pierced," "broken," or "torn asunder" when women wed and have intercourse, presumably for the first time.

For thousands of years, many cultures have believed that "breaking" the hymen caused pain, hence the belief, still current, that women experience--in fact, should experience--pain on first intercourse. In addition, some cultures have believed that if questions arose about a young woman's virginity, an examination could determine whether she was or wasn't. An intact hymen demonstrated her virtue while anything else proved she'd already been deflowered. Many cultures have also believed that "piercing" the hymen caused bleeding. In these cultures, shortly after weddings, new husbands were expected to produce bloody sheets to prove they'd (1) married virgins, and (2) consummated the marriage.

Ridiculous. Here's the rare truth about the widely misunderstood hymen.

For reasons that remain unclear, female babies are born with membranes surrounding their vaginal openings. Most hymens are doughnut shaped and open in the center. Newborns' hymens tend to be prominent and thick. But as the years pass, most hymenal tissue thins and the opening widens. During childhood most hymenal tissue wears away as a result of washing, walking, athletics, self-exploration, and masturbation, though little bits may remain around the vaginal opening, particularly in the area closest to the anus (hymenal tags).

The intact hymen almost never covers the entire vagina. If it did, virgin girls could not menstruate. However, the opening may not look like a doughnut hole. In some women, it has a ladder-like appearance with bands of tissue extending from one side to the other. In others, it resembles a honeycomb with multiple small openings. And in rare cases, an estimated one in 200, the hymen's single opening is so small that fingers, tampons, and erections may not be able to enter comfortably or at all (imperforate hymen). For women with imperforate hymens, a simple surgical procedure snips away the excess tissue. But in most women, by adolescence, any remaining hymenal tissue offers no significant impediment to using tampons or enjoying pain-free intercourse.

If hymenal tissue has largely worn away by adolescence, why do so many women experience pain on first intercourse? The sexological literature is oddly quiet on this issue. But I have a few ideas:

Pain on intercourse is a fairly common gynecological problem. It may be caused by many conditions. Some pain on first intercourse may have to do with medical issues.

Because of the mythology surrounding the hymen, many (most?) women expect first intercourse to hurt, which may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The expectation of pain causes anxiety, which can turn minor discomfort into pain.

According to the National Health and Social Life Survey (1994), about one-third of women recall not wanting sex their first time or recall being forced into it during incest, sexual assault, or other coercion or exploitation. Exploitive or assaultive sex can cause tremendous anxiety and produce or aggravate pain.

Even when women fully consent to first intercourse, an estimated "75 percent feel unprepared and find their initial sexual experience distasteful," according to the late sex therapist Sandra Leiblum, Ph.D. "Young Romeos, even those who care deeply about their girlfriends, typically lack the sexual skill and finesse for enjoyable intercourse." Fearful that women may change their minds, young men often rush into intercourse before women feel emotionally ready for it, and before their vaginas have become sufficiently relaxed and receptive for pain-free intercourse. Once erections enter young women, the men they're attached to often imitate the pounding, piston-like action of pornography. Such mechanical, non-sensual sex can also cause pain.

Even if first intercourse is totally consensual and loving, sweet, and sensual, natural anxiety around their first time may interfere with women's release of vaginal lubrication. Poorly lubricated intercourse also contributes to painful intercourse.

Residual hymenal tissue may also contribute to discomfort or pain, but for the vast majority of women, hymen issues play a minor, if any role in pain on first intercourse (unless the woman has an imperforate hymen that has not been reduced beforehand).

Finally, what about all those bloody sheets? Rushed, nonsensual, poorly lubricated, piston-like intercourse might abrade sensitive vaginal tissue enough to cause bleeding. But throughout history, in cultures that have insisted on female virginity at marriage, the stakes have been very high. No blood on the sheets deeply dishonored the bride's family and might even bring charges of marital fraud. Many brides have taken no chances. Often under their mothers' direction, they have filed a fingernail to a sharp point and on their wedding night, cut themselves on the thigh, producing enough blood to stain the sheets and satisfy tradition--and the mythology surrounding the hymen.

Fabdedon:
pintures pls

Princecalm:
If i may ask, then what is the usefulness of the hymen.

Cholls:
My brother go ahead educate us more

Realtouchnot:


I wanted to post pictures, but they might appear sexually explicit

chymystique:
I don't get your point Op after reading all these.. Are you saying its not the ruptured hymen that causes bleeding that first time?? If not then what? Educate me

Realtouchnot:


Which "more" education do you want?

Realtouchnot:


The hymen has no specific function, other than, that it is part of the vagina. Probably vestigial

Cholls:
my brother you are the teacher you answer the question yourself. Thanks and God bless you for your continuous effort to educate us MORE

Princecalm:
in summary,you are saying it is useless.

Realtouchnot:


Well, the ruptured hymen can, but rarely is the cause of the bleeding. But you can share with us your own experience, that's if you've been disvirgined. LOL!

chymystique:



LOL.. My experience or no experience doesn't explain the bleeding issue... I just want to knw what causes the bleeding most females tend to ve during their first intercourse since you said hymen rupture is rarely the cause.. That's my question

chymystique:



LOL.. My experience or no experience doesn't explain the bleeding issue... I just want to knw what causes the bleeding most females tend to ve during their first intercourse since you said hymen rupture is rarely the cause.. That's my question

LEvuls:
OP not all be like doughnut Oh.... we have egglike, ball-like,even just of resent a friend of mine saw a Fishrolled like own.... so be properly educated on that one now

eightsin:
Got tired of reading half way.

LEvuls:
OP not all be like doughnut Oh.... we have egglike, ball-like,even just of resent a friend of mine saw a Fishrolled like own.... so be properly educated on that one now

Realtouchnot:


With all the empirical evidence available as at now, it has no medical function. Only the "perceived" cultural/religious import is significant about it.

mesoade:
In summary,
the hymen is a vestigial organ(no function) just like the appendix

Realtouchnot:


It was thought that the vermiform appendix had no function. But today, it is known to have some immunological functions (it is a Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue, GALT), and also houses some commensal (good) bacteria, which compete with other harmful ones.

That's why I still maintain "no function as at now" for the hymen, cos new discoveries are possible

Realtouchnot:

You can go over the last paragraph again to see some of the reasons. You can also share your experience with bleeding on your first intercourse. Please!
You can go over the last paragraph again to see some of the reasons. You can also share your experience with bleeding on your first intercourse. Please!

LOL.. Okay before I share it, I want to know how the hymen can grow back?

Realtouchnot:

Finally, what about all those bloody sheets? Rushed, nonsensual, poorly lubricated, piston-like intercourse might abrade sensitive vaginal tissue enough to cause bleeding. But throughout history, in cultures that have insisted on female virginity at marriage, the stakes have been very high. No blood on the sheets deeply dishonored the bride's family and might even bring charges of marital fraud. Many brides have taken no chances. Often under their mothers' direction, they have filed a fingernail to a sharp point and on their wedding night, cut themselves on the thigh, producing enough blood to stain the sheets and satisfy tradition--and the mythology surrounding the hymen

Is this paragraph for real? Lol.. Ve never heard of it oo.. Thank you for telling us this new scope

Realtouchnot:


Hahaha. Thanks for teaching me

mesoade:
i troway cap for you o ,so how many baby mamas u don get now?

LEvuls:

Bros na school we dey..... just learning hymen's shape

mesoade:
learning abi talking from experience . . Once again,i hug transformer salute you

mesoade:
@emboldened
commensalism is the relationship between two organisms where one gains and the other neither gains nor is harmed .e.g is the shark and the remora fish. . . Commensal doesn't really mean good,the bacterias are gaining from the human body as well as attacking other harmful bacterias . . Bros i think you meant symbiotic and not commensal