Most women are born with a hymen, a thin piece of skin that partially covers the opening of the vaginal opening, or introitus. The main purpose of the hymen appears to be protection of the vaginal opening and the areas immediately surrounding the introitus during a female's early developing years. Yet many cultures place significant amount of importance on the hymen, focusing on whether or a not a young female has one. The reason that this small and seemingly insignificant piece of tissue of is of such great importance is that an intact hymen may indicate the chastity of a woman. The presence of the hymen implies that the woman is a virgin. The importance of a female's chastity is often emphasized in particular in patriarchal societies and by traditional religions. Presumably a chaste bride values fidelity and will guarantee that the conceived offspring will be that of the father's.

As mentioned above, the hymen is thin piece of tissue that partially covers the vaginal opening, or introitus. The hymen is attached to the labia minora (inner lips) of the vulva and can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. The most common are annular, septate, cribriform, and imperforate hymen. The first three types of hymen partially cover the vaginal opening, allowing the menstrual flow to escape and for a tampon to be inserted with ease (see the illustration). In the rare case of an imperforate hymen, the tissue completely covers the introitus, but this can be fixed with a simple, painless, medical procedure.

Here are some illustrations showing just a few of the possible shapes that a hymen may take. The parous introitus shows the vaginal opening of a woman who has already had one or more babies, and very little remains of the hymenal tissue. However, these are by no means all the possible formations, so if your hymen looks different, don't worry.

The problem with reading too much significance into the presence of the hymen is that a woman may still be a virgin even if she does not have an intact hymen. A woman may not have a hymen for a variety of different reasons. First and foremost, she may have been born without a hymen, or without much of a hymen. In addition, many women tear their hymen, enlarging the hole, through nonsexual activities-- such as engaging in sports, horseback riding, insertion of tampons, etc that put tension on their hymenal tissue. Women are often not even aware that their hymen has torn, since there may be little or no blood and no pain. Sexual intercourse is only one of many reasons why a woman may not have a hymen.

In many societies, however, people think that the only way a woman breaks her hymen is through sexual intercourse. As a result, if a woman does not have a hymen she is immediately thought to not be a virgin. Problems arise in countries whose values and beliefs place great importance on a woman’s virginity. In some Middle Eastern countries, a woman is not supposed to lose her virginity until her wedding night. It is then custom for the husband to show off the blood stained sheets that supposedly prove his bride was a virgin. But what happens if the woman does not have a hymen, or simply does not bleed for some other reason? She may risk being shunned by her family and new husband. The woman may even be returned to her family as "used goods," stoned to death, or banished from her society.

The hymen carries a great deal of importance and symbolism even in the United States. Men and boys alike are sometimes eager to "pop the cherry" of a girl, though the reasons for this are unclear. If a girl does not have a hymen, but loses her virginity to her boyfriend, did he in fact "pop the cherry?" In this case, the word "cherry" is clearly associated with virginity. This is obviously a false association, but unfortunately one that lingers. We can only hope that as more people begin to understand the basics of human sexuality, these false myths will be eradicated.

To help further your knowledge about the hymen, here are some frequently asked questions regarding it:
Virginity/Hymen, Is my bleeding normal?

What happens to the hymen after intercourse?

Bleeding after Sex

More Foreplay

Can I lose my virginity by masturbating?

Does masturbating cause loss of virginity?

When my cherry pops but there is no cum can I get pregnant?