Hello ladies and gentle men welcome again to Efogator Health & Sex; today we shall be talking about everything you need to know about the female hymen and the possibility of having a broken hymen without sex.

There’s a lot of confusion about hymens out there. Many people think the hymen totally covers the opening of the vagina until it is force-stretched open, but that’s not usually the case. Most of the time, hymens naturally have a hole big enough for period blood to come out and for you to use tampons comfortably.

But What is a hymen?

The hymen as it were is a thin and fleshy tissue that is located at the opening of the female vagina.

It has been discovered that some females were born with a tiny hymen tissue that it seems like they don’t have a hymen at all. In rare cases, people have hymens that cover the entire vaginal opening, or the hole in their hymen is very small — they may need to see a doctor for a minor procedure to remove the extra tissue. Just like other parts of our body, hymens are a little different for everyone.

The hymen being an elastic fleshy tissue can be stretched open the first time you have vaginal penetration, which might cause some pain or bleeding. But this doesn’t happen to everyone. And there are other ways that a hymen can be stretched open: riding a bike, doing sports, or putting something in your vagina (like a tampon, finger, or intimacy gadget). Once your hymen is stretched open, it can’t grow back.

4 facts you need to know about the female hymen:

1. Hymens vary a lot in how they look

Just like the vulva, hymens don’t all look the same. Some may be larger than others, some have fringing, while others are more lobed-shaped. Some have round holes; others have perforations shaped like a half-moon. There is not a standard of ‘normal’ when it comes to what hymens look like. In fact, the idea that a hymen should look a certain way is particularly harmful, as we’ll cover later on in this post.

If you're curious to see if you have a hymen or what it looks like, you can take a look yourself at home with a hand mirror and a flashlight. The hymen may be visible if you part the labia on your vulva and look inside the vaginal passage. Don’t be worried if you can’t find your hymen, this skin-fold is tiny and in some cases may not be visible at all.

2. The hymen stretches - it doesn’t break

We often talk about the hymen being broken when we have sex for the first time. However, the hymen is already perforated - we know blood, tampons and fingers can pass into the vaginal passage without the hymen disappearing. When we have penetrative sex for the first time, nothing disappears, the hymen may simply stretch.

This contradicts much of the language we’re familiar with when we talk about virginity. In reality, nothing physical is lost, and while our first time having sex may be significant for many of us, there isn’t a biological change to our bodies.

3. Not everyone has a hymen

Some women are born with a very small hymen or with no hymen at all. This is perfectly healthy and does not mean that they are missing anything, or need medical attention. For many of us our hymens can be stretched long before we have penetrative sex, whether it’s from sports, self-exploration or using menstrual products like tampons.

Again, you can check if you have a hymen, and should not be alarmed if you can’t find the hymen. Of course, if you have concerns about your reproductive health, you can always talk to your health care professional.

4. There are different types of hymens.

It is important to note that hymens are not one-size-fits-all. There are actually five major types of female hymen and they are medically classified as:

• Imperforate: hymen with no opening at all.
• Micro-perforate: hymen with extremely small opening.
• Normal: hymen with a generally crescent shaped opening.
• Cribriform: hymen with several small openings through which menstrual blood can flow out.
• Septate: hymen with a thin band of tissue in the center.

Imperforate, micro-perforate, and septate hymens interfere with menstrual flow and tampon use. In these cases, you can have a minor surgery (called a hymenectomy) to remove the extra tissue and open up the hymen so period blood can flow through. This is performed by a gynecologist.



The hymen is soft cartilage around your womb commonly referred to as your virginity. It was believed that the only way a woman could break her hymen was by having sex with a man. This is because people believed your hymen is your virginity.

Although many have accepted this, others believe it is a myth that needs to be corrected. The difference in opinion resulted after scientists discovered that ladies can easily break their hymen without contact with a man. Here are five ways you can break your hymen without having sex:

Below are major 5 ways broken hymens without sex can occur:

2. By penetrative masturbation

When you insert an object deep into your body, there is a good probability that it will stretch your hymen provided they make contact. Your finger can also break your hymen if inserted deeply in your private part.

2. By the use of tampons

Tampons are objects used for absorbing menstrual flow in ladies. Unlike pads, tampons are directly inserted into the vagina. When inserted, it expands upon contact with a woman's menstrual flow. If a tampon is at close range with the hymen, it could easily stretch it when it expands.

3. Through sports activities

Sports activities that concentrate pressure around the vaginal region can stretch the hymen. It happens so smoothly that many ladies don't notice that their hymen has broken. Examples of such sports include riding a bike, flexibility exercises focused on the hip region, horseback riding, gymnastics, and squats.

4. Through growth

As your body grows, various changes take place inside your body. Your organs, tissues, and cells become worn out. Your hymen becomes weaker and gradually stretches as you grow older.

5. By injuries

Records show that both kids and adults can break their hymen through injuries. Injuries acquired in playgrounds, sports centers, or during other activities can serve as the determinants for this condition. Such injuries can result from falling on your butt or forcefully stretching the hip region of your body.

Source: https://efogator.com/broken-hymen-without-sex-can-occur-if-these-happen/