The Hymen

The hymen is a thin piece of skin that surrounds and partially covers the vaginal opening (introitus) in females. The hymen functions to protect the female's vaginal opening, and normally has a small opening to allow the passing of menstrual flow and the insertion of a finger or tampon. The hymen can stretch and/or tear as a result of various behaviors such as: first-time vaginal intercourse, insertion of multiple fingers or a sex toy, and non-sexual activities such as gymnastics (doing the splits) and horseback riding.

The hymen can have very important cultural significance in certain cultures because of its association with a woman's virginity. Below are a couple images of what hymenal tissue can look like; however it is important to remember that the appearance of the hymen varies among women. For more information related to the hymen, browse the links of articles below.

The woman on the left below has an intact hymen; the one on the right has either broken her hymen during a physical activity, or perhaps during vaginal intercourse. However, the shape of the hymen varies from woman to woman; many different configurations are possible.

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