Hymen From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For the Greek god of marriage,

see Hymenaios. For the record label, see Hymen Records. Hymen shown in a drawing from Gray's anatomyThe hymen (also called maidenhead)[1 ] is a fold of mucous membrane which surrounds or partially covers the external vaginal opening. Its name comes from the ancient greek for "hymenaeus," which me ans "vaginal-flap." It was also the name for the Greek god of marriage, later al so the Greek God of membranes; "Hymenaios."[2][3] A slang term is "cherry", as i n "popping one's cherry" (losing one's virginity). It forms part of the vulva, o r external genitalia.[4][5] The most common formation of the hymen is crescentic or crescent-shaped, although several other formations are possible.[6] After a woman gives birth she may be left with remnants of the hymen called carunculae m yrtiformes or the hymen may be completely absent.[7] The hymen has no known anatomical function. In societies which value chastity, t he greatest significance of the hymen is a traditional belief that an intact hym en indicates a state of intact virginity. However, it is not possible to confirm that a woman or post-pubescent girl is not a virgin by examining the hymen.[8] A physician routinely checks the appearance of the hymen of baby girls at birth[ citation needed], and again during all future pelvic examinations. In cases of s uspected rape or sexual abuse a detailed examination of the hymen may be carried out, however the condition of the hymen alone is often inconclusive or open to misinterpretation, especially if the patient has reached puberty.[9] Contents [hide] 1 Types 2 Hymens in other animals 3 Development of the hymen 4 What might damage the hymen 5 Debunking myths 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Types There are several different formations of the hymen, some more common than other s. In about 1 in 2000 females, the hymen fails to develop any opening at all:[10 ] this is called an imperforate hymen and if it does not spontaneously resolve i tself before puberty a physician will need to make a hole in the hymen to allow menstrual fluids to escape.[11] A hymenotomy may also be required if the hymen i s particularly thick or inelastic as it may interfere with sexual intercourse. The shape of the hymen is easiest to observe in girls past infancy but before th ey reach puberty: at this time their hymen is thin and less likely to be redunda nt, that is to protrude or fold over on itself.[12] When describing the shape of a hymen, a clock face is used. The 12 o'clock posit ion is below the urethra, and 6 o'clock is towards the anus, which is based on t he patient lying on her back.[13] Most common forms of the hymen: crescent-shaped, crescentic, or posterior rim: no hymenal tissue at the 12 o'clo ck position; narrow band of tissue starts at 1 or 2 o'clock going clockwise, is at its widest around 6 o'clock, and tapers off at 10 or 11 o'clock

annular, or circumferential: the hymen forms a ring around the vaginal opening; especially common in newborns[14] redundant; sometimes sleeve-like: folds in on itself, which sometimes causes it to protrude; most common in infancy and at/following puberty due to estrogen lev els;[15] can be combined with other type such as "annular and redundant" Less common forms: fimbriated or denticular: an irregular edge to the hymenal orifice; more likely at an age when estrogen is present septate: the hymen has one or more bands extending across the opening cribriform, or microperforate: the hymen stretches completely across the vaginal opening, but is perforated with several holes labial, or vertical: hymen has an opening from the 12 to the 6 o'clock positions and can look similar to a third set of vulvar lips imperforate:[16] hymen completely covers vaginal orifice; will require minor sur gery if it has not corrected itself by puberty to allow menstrual fluids to esca pe The hymen is torn or stretched by penetrative sex, and more so when a woman give s birth vaginally. parous introitus refers to the vaginal opening which has had a baby pass through it and consequently has nothing left of its hymen but a fleshy irregular outlin e decorating its perimeter; these tags are called carunculae mytriformes [edit] Hymens in other animals Main article: List of animals with hymens [edit] Development of the hymen During the early stages of fetal development there is no opening into the vagina at all. The thin layer of tissue that covers the vagina at this time usually di vides to a certain extent prior to birth, forming the hymen. That layer was the M llerian eminence before[17], and thus, the hymen is a remnant of that structure. In newborn babies, who are still under the influence of the mother's hormones, t he hymen is thick, pale pink, and redundant (folds in on itself and may protrude ). For the first two to four years of life, the infant produces hormones which c ontinue this effect.[18] By the time a girl reaches school-age, this hormonal influence has stopped and t he hymen becomes thin, smooth, delicate and almost translucent. It is also very sensitive to touch; a physician who needed to swab the area would avoid the hyme n and swab the outer vulval vestibule instead.[19] From puberty onwards the appearance of the hymen is affected once more by estrog en. It thickens and becomes pale pink, the opening is often fibriated or erratic ally shaped, and redundant: the hymen often appears rolled or sleeve-like.[20] There is a surgical procedure that can repair the hymen so that it is intact. Th e procedure, known as hymenoplasty, has become a popular procedure for some fema les. [edit] What might damage the hymen The hymen is normally damaged by playing sports, using tampons, pelvic examinati ons or even straddle injuries.[21] Once a girl reaches puberty, the hymen tends to become quite elastic. It is not possible to determine whether a woman uses tampons or not by examining her hymen . Sexual intercourse is one of the most common ways to damage the hymen, althoug h only 43% of women report bleeding the first time they had sex; which means tha

t in the other 57% of women the hymen likely stretched enough that it didn't tea r.[21] It is rare to damage the hymen through accidental injury, such as falling on the top tube of a bicycle. Although such an accident may cause bleeding, this is us ually due to damage to surrounding tissues such as the labia.[22] It is unlikely that an accident would damage the hymen without injuring any other part of the vulva. Therefore, damage to the hymen alone, described as an accident, would be seen as a strong indicator of sexual assault. [edit] Debunking myths The condition of the hymen is not a reliable indicator of whether a woman past p uberty has actually engaged in sexual intercourse. There is no such thing as "congenital absence of the hymen", i.e. it is a myth t hat girls are born without a hymen.[23] However, a hymen can vary in size, and, as described above, be very hard to find, even if the person never had sex befor e. Many sources, including romance novels and other materials that describe virgini ty loss, mistakenly indicate that the hymen is somewhere up inside the vagina.[c itation needed] This is a common misconception. The hymen is part of the externa l genitalia. As early as the late sixteenth century, Ambroise Par and Andreas Laurentius assert ed to have never seen the hymen and that it was "a primitive myth, unworthy of a civilized nation like France." In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, medi cal researchers have used the presence of the hymen, or lack thereof, as foundin g evidence of physical diseases such as "womb-fury." If not cured, womb-fury wou ld, according to these early doctors, result in death.[24] The cure, naturally e nough, was marriage, since a woman could then go about having sexual intercourse on a "normal" schedule that would stop womb-fury from killing her. In late 2005, Monica Christiansson, former maternity ward nurse and Carola Eriks son, a PhD student at Ume University announced that according to studies of medica l literature and practical experience, the hymen should be considered a social a nd cultural myth, based on deeply rooted stereotypes of womens' roles in sexual relations with men. Christiansson and Eriksson support their claims by pointing out that there are no accurate medical descriptions of what a hymen actually con sists of. Statistics presented by the two state that fewer than 30% of all women who have gone through puberty and have consensual intercourse bleed the first t ime. Christiansson has expressed an opinion that the use of the term "hymen" sho uld be discontinued and that it should be considered an integral part of the vag inal opening.[25] Since the hymen has been culturally constructed to be the sign of virginity, its existence plays into a political discourse that circulates around the body. By examining women's bodies for the existence of the hymen, researchers have used i t to determine whether or not women are "virtuous." Sherry B. Ortner, professor at the University of Chicago, explains how "the hymen itself emerges physiologic ally with the development of sexual purity codes" as an element of patriarchy.[2 6] In some cultures it was customary to examine a woman for her hymen before her marriage to see if she was truly fit to be married. If she was found with a bro ken hymen, or to have no hymen at all, often the male would not be obligated to marry her. Additionally, the construct of the hymen has been used to consistentl y create the image of women as physically bound to their sexuality, insofar as t here's a specific membrane that needs "breaking" in order to have sex and enter into full womanhood, being sexually dependent on their men.[27] [edit] See also

Hymenorrhaphy Hymenotomy Virginity [edit] References ^ {{{author}}}, Oxford English Dictionary, [[{{{publisher}}}]], [[{{{date}}}]]. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica 2004, hymen. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition. ^ Emans, S. Jean. "Physical Examination of the Child and Adolescent" (2000) in E valuation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atla s, Second edition, Oxford University Press. 62 ^ Perlman, Sally E.; Nakajima, Steven T. and Hertweck, S. Paige (2004). Clinical protocols in pediatric and adolescent gynecology. Parthenon, 131. ^ Emans, S. Jean. "Physical Examination of the Child and Adolescent" (2000) in E valuation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atla s, Second edition, Oxford University Press. 63 ^ Knight, Bernard (1997). Simpson's Forensic Medicine, 11th edition, London: Arn old, 114. ^ Perlman, Sally E.; Nakajima, Steven T. and Hertweck, S. Paige (2004). Clinical protocols in pediatric and adolescent gynecology. Parthenon, 131. ^ Emans, S. Jean. "Physical Examination of the Child and Adolescent" (2000) in E valuation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atla s, Second edition, Oxford University Press. 63-4 ^ (2002) in Kurman, Robert J.: Blaustein's Pathology of the Female Genital Tract , 5th edition, New York: Springer-Verlag, 160. ^ Chang, Lisbeth and Muram, David. (2002) "Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology" in DeCherney, Alan H. and Nathan, Lauren. Current Obstetric & Gynecological Diagno sis & Treatment, 9th edition, McGraw-Hill, 598-602. ^ Muram, David. "Anatomical and Physiologic Changes" (2000) in Evaluation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas, Second editio n, Oxford University Press. 105-7. ^ Pokorny, Susan. "Anatomical Terms of Female External Genitalia" (2000) in Eval uation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas, Second edition, Oxford University Press. 110. ^ Heger, Astrid; Emans, S. Jean and Muram, David (2000). Evaluation of the Sexua lly Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas, Second edition, Oxf ord University Press, 116. ^ Pokorny, Susan. "Anatomical Terms of Female External Genitalia" (2000) in Eval uation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas, Second edition, Oxford University Press. 110-1. ^ Ergun, E. "Social, Medical, and Legal Control of Female Sexuality Through Cons truction of Virginity in Turkey" (2006). Unpublished masters thesis, Towson Univ ersity, MD, USA. Accessed 01.17.2007 at http://www.archive.org/details/Construct ionofVirginityTurkey ^ 1918 Gray's Anatomy ^ McCann, J; Rosas, A. and Boos, S. (2003) "Child and adolescent sexual assaults (childhood sexual abuse)" in Payne-James, Jason; Busuttil, Anthony and Smock, W illiam (eds). Forensic Medicine: Clinical and Pathological Aspects, Greenwich Me dical Media: London, 455. ^ McCann, J; Rosas, A. and Boos, S. (2003) "Child and adolescent sexual assaults (childhood sexual abuse)" in Payne-James, Jason; Busuttil, Anthony and Smock, W illiam (eds). Forensic Medicine: Clinical and Pathological Aspects, Greenwich Me dical Media: London, 459. ^ Heger, Astrid; Emans, S. Jean and Muram, David (2000). Evaluation of the Sexua lly Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas, Second edition, Oxf ord University Press, 116. ^ a b Emans, S. Jean. "Physical Examination of the Child and Adolescent" (2000) in Evaluation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas, Second edition, Oxford University Press. 64-5 ^ McCann, J; Rosas, A. and Boos, S. (2003) "Child and adolescent sexual assaults

(childhood sexual abuse)" in Payne-James, Jason; Busuttil, Anthony and Smock, W illiam (eds). Forensic Medicine: Clinical and Pathological Aspects, Greenwich Me dical Media: London, 465. ^ Jenny,Carole, et al. Pediatrics, 1987 vol 80, pages 399-400) ^ The linkage between the hymen and social elements of control has been taken up in Marie Loughlin's book Hymeneutics: Interpreting Virginity on the Early Moder n Stage published in 1997 ^ Nerikes Allehanda's article on Christiansson's and Eriksson's research (Swedis h) ^ Ortner, Sherry. "The Virgin and the State" in Feminist Studies, Vol. 4, No. 3. (Oct., 1978), pp. 19-35. ^ See Carol Sternhell's review of Hanne Blank's book, "Virgin the Untouched Hist ory" in published Chicago Sun-Times, titled "Purity and its place in society" fo r more information on this subject in accessible form [edit] External links