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peggy
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: 01-05-2004 Location:
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posted on 01-06-2004 at 05:23 |
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What is a hymen
A hymen is the thin piece of tissue that partially blocks the entrance to the vagina. It is sometimes called the maidenhead or cherry. It is named after the Greek god of marriage and has no known biological function.
Although some women are born without a hymen, most have one, and the hymen varies in size and shape from woman to woman. The hymen usually does not cover the entire vaginal opening, since there must be some way for the menstrual fluid, or period, to leave the body.
A Marker of Virginity?
The hymen has historically been a marker of a woman's virginity. The belief that since the hymen blocked the vaginal opening, it should remain intact as long as a woman did not have sexual intercourse was widely propagated, especially in cultures where a woman's virginity was highly valued.
If an unmarried woman's hymen was found to be separated, grave consequences could result, depending on each culture's customs. In some Australian tribes it is the custom for a specially appointed older woman to perforate the hymen of a bride one week before her marriage. If it is found that the hymen has already separated from the vaginal walls prior to this ritual, the woman is subject to public humiliation, torture, and sometimes death.
But it is scientific fact that the hymen can be separated for reasons quite unconnected to sexual intercourse. It can separate when the body is stretched strenuously, as in athletics; it can be separated by inserting a tampon during menstruation or through masturbation; and sometimes it is separated for no apparent reason.
A separated hymen is not an indication of having had intercourse, nor can it prove a loss of virginity. In fact, some women must have their hymen surgically removed before the birth of their first child because it is so flexible or small that it remains intact during intercourse.
When the hymen is separated, whether during first intercourse or at some other time, there may be some slight bleeding and a little pain. Both the bleeding and the pain are quite normal and both usually stop after a short time. Some women experience no discomfort at all during this process that is commonly referred to as "losing your cherry".
It is important to remember that a woman can become pregnant even if her hymen is intact and no penis has entered her vagina. If sperm comes in contact with the labia or general vaginal area, it can move through the opening in the vagina and possibly lead to a pregnancy. An intact hymen should not be considered a form of birth control.
Know the Facts: Normalize Fears
As with most information on sexuality, a woman learns about her hymen in many ways, but rarely from parents, physicians or informed adults in a supportive and sensitive manner. Rather, it seems that women learn about the hymen in ways that promote anxiety and uncertainty about their own bodies and behaviors.
Knowing the facts about the hymen can help women dispel the myth that it proves virginity, freeing them from the negative effects of popular mythology. Having accurate information about the hymen can assist in normalizing a woman's fears about her body and help promote greater self-acceptance.
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sarabeth
Junior Member
Posts: 12
Registered: 02-25-2006 Location: in the middle of mississippi
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posted on 02-25-2006 at 11:08 |
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sarabeth
what exactely do u want to no
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julibaby
Newbie
Posts: 1
Registered: 10-28-2006 Location: senegal
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posted on 10-28-2006 at 13:32 |
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hi
helloi am juliet
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Rachel_R
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: 10-13-2006 Location: United Kingdom
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posted on 10-28-2006 at 18:33 |
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What is a hymen
' what exactely do u want to no'
Are all the people on here unable to read proper english and find it hard understanding english?
THE PERSON WHO POSTED THIS OBVIOUSLY DOESNT WANNA KNOW ANYTHING, THERE POSTING USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE HYMEN FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
Jeez... ):)
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melvaughn
Member
Posts: 68
Registered: 06-30-2005 Location:
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posted on 10-29-2006 at 06:22 |
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The weird people on this site..I love it!
Exactly....This is the first post I've read in a long time that is actually in full sentences/English. Most of the posts on here are ineligible and unreadable because people don't know how to write in English anymore.
I agree with all this very 'useful' Hymen info, although sadely the few 'hymen' obsessed men on this site, will selectively choose not to believe half of it. It's called selective reading and they believe what they 'want' to believe rather than what is true......Their thinking is so black and white and uneducated, it's quite sad.
Too bad gradboy doesn't post here anymore...what a wacko job he was. He provided good amusement for awhile. I wonder if he still thinks masturbating causes hair loss????...haha
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Parthena
Member
Posts: 57
Registered: 07-07-2007 Location: Greece
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posted on 07-07-2007 at 22:35 |
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Hymen
There is actually some medical reasoning for the existence of the hymen. Some doctors and scientists now believe the hymen is important for preventing the entry of harmful pathogens into the upper vagina and cervix, where they could cause infections that could lead to cervical cancer or infertility. In the past, a woman was protected by her hymen from microbial attack in the vagina. After intercourse, because there was no birth control, she was likely to fall pregnant within a relatively short time and during the time of her pregnancy her cervix and uterus were protected by the cervical plug. After the birth of her first or second child, her body was more open to attack by microbes but by that time she assumedly had already passed on her genes to the next generation and so survival of the human race was ensured.
I like this explanation because it shows that there is a biological basis, not just a cultural one, for the hymen's existence.
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