If you're curious to see if you have a hymen or what it looks like, you can take a look yourself at home with a hand mirror and a flashlight. The hymen may be visible if you part the labia on your vulva and look inside the vaginal passage. We often talk about the hymen being broken when we have sex for the first time. However, the hymen is already perforated - we know blood, tampons and fingers can pass into the vaginal passage without the hymen disappearing. When we have penetrative sex for the first time, nothing disappears, the hymen may simply stretch.
Some women are born with a very small hymen or with no hymen at all. This is perfectly healthy and does not mean that they are missing anything, or need medical attention. Of course, if you have concerns about your reproductive health, you can always talk to your health care professional.
In the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement saying that they do not provide guidance on virginity testing. As covered earlier, every hymen looks different, so there is no set standard for finding evidence of penetration. This idea that the hymen breaks when we first have sex has also led to a belief that our first time should be painful.
Contrary to popular belief, the hymen is not a flat piece of tissue covering the vagina, which is punctured during intercourse. If it were, girls would not be able to menstruate before they lose their virginity because there would be no outlet for menstrual blood. Usually, the hymen looks like a fringe of tissue around the vaginal opening.
It is not an intact piece of tissue draped across it. Some girls are born without a hymen, others have only a scanty fringe of tissue. Moreover, for all its fabled mystery, the hymen is just a body part. Like eyes, noses and breasts, everyone is a little different. Girls often disrupt the hymen during play. There is often some bleeding. Nonetheless, the hymen is prized and parents and teens sometimes worry that the prize has been lost.
Often, mothers bring their daughters to see me because they, or the father, want to know if the girl is a virgin. Of course, in New York and many states teens have a right to confidential care so I cannot tell the mother anything unless the teen gives me permission to do so. Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email. By Nona Willis Aronowitz. By Alexis Benveniste. But first, let's get our definitions clear: What is a hymen? The hymen can broken in a variety of ways and is not a marker of virginity.
On the flip side, it's possible to engage in sexual activity and not break the hymen. Normal: hymen with a generally crescent shaped opening. Cribriform: hymen with several small openings through which menstrual blood can flow. Imperforate: hymen with no opening at all. Microperforate: hymen with extremely small opening. Septate: hymen with a thin band of tissue in the center. But it will stretch or thin over time. Think about it: If there was a piece of tissue covering the opening of your vagina, how would you be able to menstruate?
This is a rare medical condition that surgery can treat. The hymen has usually thinned by the time you first experience vaginal penetration — whether with tampons or something else — so sexual activity will have little to no effect. There are a number of things that can cause your hymen to tear or wear down. Certain physical activities and sports, for example, can stretch the membrane and cause it to thin. There are a number of reasons why sex might hurt the first time. For example:.
But there are a number of ways to reduce pain around sexual activity — and it is possible to have sex for the first time without feeling pain. Talking to your partner about sex can reduce your anxiety. During foreplay, your body realizes it will be having sex, so it starts producing its own vaginal lubricant. How long should you spend on foreplay? Foreplay itself can be a fun experience, for both you and your partner. So, take your time and figure out what you like.
Ten minutes is a good goal to aim for, but you might simply wait until your vagina is wet enough for penetration.
0コメント