What is the hymen?
The hymen (vaginal corona) is a thin, elastic fold of mucous membrane that partially closes the vaginal opening. It represents the boundary between a woman’s internal and external genitals. Through a remaining opening between the hymen and the wall of the vaginal entrance, menstrual blood can normally flow out unhindered.
Where does the name hymen come from?
The name hymen is based on an assumption that has since been proven to be false: In the past, it was thought that the hymen always ruptured during the first sexual intercourse and then bled. Girls and women with an intact hymen were therefore still untouched, i.e. virgins.
What does the hymen look like?
Where exactly is the hymen located?
The hymen is located in the vagina, behind the labia minora. More precisely, it is located about two to three centimeters behind the vaginal entrance, or about two centimeters lower in more corpulent women. Between the hymen and a ligament that runs from the clitoris to the labia minora, the vaginal entrance is shaped into a groove. This is where the glandular secretion produced during sexual arousal collects.
Can the hymen tear?
In principle, the hymen can be damaged. The causes are not always clear. However, it is wrong to assume that it always tears in the course of a woman’s life. Nevertheless, such assumptions persist.
Does the hymen tear the first time you have sex?
Nevertheless, the hymen still has a special significance in some cultures and religions today: According to this belief, only the alleged tearing of the hymen on the wedding night and the small amount of bleeding that can result from this is proof that the woman was still untouched, i.e. that she had not had sexual intercourse before marriage. However, this is a misconception.
Does it always bleed?
When the hymen tears, some women bleed. But even this is not a rule: even if the hymen is injured, it does not have to bleed profusely. Moreover, bleeding can also occur if the mucous membrane of the vagina is injured elsewhere. About half of all women do not bleed the first time they have sex. By the way, pain does not have to occur either.
When does the hymen tear?
The hymen can also tear during natural childbirth. The extent to which the hymen is injured also depends on its shape (large-surface hymens are more susceptible than small marginal ones). How stretchy the mucosal fold actually is also plays a role.
An uninjured hymen does not prove virginity. Conversely, a torn hymen may also be present in virgins. Bleeding does not have to occur either. Or the bleeding stems from another injury to the vaginal mucosa.
What is the function of the hymen?
It is not clear whether the hymen serves a biological purpose. Some scientists suspect that it is to protect the vagina from infection. Accordingly, it serves as a mechanical barrier against pathogens. However, there is no clear evidence for this.
Can the hymen be restored?
Get detailed advice from experts or a doctor you trust about the restoration of a hymen!
What problems can the hymen cause?
If the hymen completely closes the vaginal entrance, doctors speak of a hymen imperforatus or a hymenal atresia. About one in 2000 girls is affected by this genital malformation.
Such cases usually become noticeable when menstruation begins: The menstrual blood cannot drain away, but collects in the vagina. In the case of large amounts of blood, it backs up into the uterus or even into the fallopian tubes. Affected girls and women experience increasing pain with each passing month, possibly accompanied by disturbances in bladder and bowel emptying. This problem is easily remedied by a microsurgical procedure under local anesthesia (hymenal cleft).