Think you know all there is to know about female anatomy? Think again. Many men and women are stumped when it comes to knowing about a little piece of tissue called the hymen. Read on to find out the facts about this misunderstood membrane.
Also called a "cherry," the hymen is a thin piece of skin that stretches across the opening to the vagina. There's usually an opening, or several openings in the hymen, that let menstrual blood flow out of the body. All girls are born with a hymen, but sometimes there is so little tissue that there may appear to be none. Little or lots, either way is perfectly normal and okay.
The hymen can be stretched open through sexual intercourse, but it can also be stretched open during all sorts of other physical activities. Something as simple as playing sports, horseback riding, or riding a bicycle can stretch open the hymen.
If a woman's hymen hasn't been stretched open before she has sexual intercourse, inserting a penis or a sex toy usually stretches it (some people call it "popping the cherry"). Some girls don't feel any pain when this happens, but others do. There might even be a little bit of bleeding if the hymen wasn't stretched open before intercourse. However, a woman should see a clinician if she's in a lot of pain or bleeding heavily after intercourse.
Scientists aren't sure exactly what the hymen does for the body, but it's very important for some people as a sign of virginity. Some people believe that a woman whose hymen has been stretched open is no longer a virgin. But having a hymen and being a virgin are not the same thing. Don't forget, there are many ways that a woman can stretch her hymen — sexual intercourse is just one of them. No one, not even a clinician, would be able to tell that a woman is not a virgin just by looking at her hymen.
Now that you've learned heaps about the hymen, consider yourself one step closer to being an expert on female anatomy. A lot of knowledge about this little membrane can go a long, long way!
