Does it hurt when your hymen breaks?
What is a Hymen?
The hymen is a thin membrane that surrounds or partially covers the external vaginal opening. Hymens vary in shape, size, thickness, and color. Some women have zero hymenal remnants, while others have a thin membrane that can range in thickness. This is the reason why some women bleed and some don't.
A hymen or the virginity of a woman is not a tag of how pure she is. ‘Virginity lost’ is a faux term for a new experience gained. Therefore, these myths should not make a woman feel embarrassed or guilty about her life choices.
Hymen before and after losing Virginity
The hymen is a thin membrane, which is present across the entrance of the vagina. When a girl reaches puberty at the age of 15-16, her hymen becomes thick and elastic; it allows the blood to flow through it and also closes the vaginal area. Her body starts making certain hormones that help in keeping the hymen healthy. So when she engages in sexual activity with her partner for the first time and moves her muscles continuously, the hymen stretches, tears a little, and allows blood to flow through it. Thus bleeding may occur from a hymen during first sexual intercourse.
Does it Hurt when your Hymen Breaks?
Many people have the misconception that a hymen gets broken during first-time sex but that's not the case. Only a few women are born with hymens since most of them can break.
If your hymen is very thin, it might break easily and not hurt you as much as a breaking of thick and tight hymen would. Bleeding during the first sexual intercourse is very subjective and there is no clinical proof available that says every woman would bleed during her first sexual intercourse.
In many cases, the hymen is very thick and does not break during the act and it accounts for around 13% of women who might require a hysterectomy. This is a surgery to perforate the hymen.
How does Hymen change throughout your Life?
Are you worried about the thinning of hymen? Don’t panic, here are the reasons why hymen gets thin over time.
The reason behind it thinning over time is that it gets torn or may be damaged due to certain reasons.
The hymen is an elastic fold of tissue situated at the entrance of the vagina. The hymen is a thin membrane that allows the entry of any sex toy or a male's penis during intercourse. It usually erodes as a person grows and experiences sexual activity.
The hymen is not a constant anatomical feature in women. It may or may not be present and some women may have more than one. This membrane is thinner in young girls and thicker in old women.
What are the Possible Causes of Vaginal Bleeding During or After Sex?
Postcoital bleeding is a common problem among menstruating women. While bleeding during sexual intercourse might be due to minor issues, sometimes it could be a sign of a more serious problem.
STD, benign polyps, cervical ectropion, endometriosis, trauma, cancer, atrophic vaginitis, etc are some of the serious health conditions that can cause vaginal bleeding during or after sexual intercourse.
Painful sexual intercourse can also lead to bleeding because of vaginal dryness. The vagina is a natural lubricant, however, sometimes it does not produce sufficient fluid. So the artificial lubricants replace the natural vaginal secretions, making the vagina feel lubricated.
People who do not get relief from vaginal dryness when they use artificial lubricants can use estrogen creams. Remaining hydrated, masturbating before intercourse, and spending more time on foreplay can also help in improving lubrication.
If you are unable to find the underlying cause of your vaginal bleeding, we highly recommend consulting a doctor because an early diagnosis will have a greater chance of treating a minor issue before it becomes serious.
What are the Causes of Hymen Breakage?
The hymen is a thin membrane made up of mucus-like tissue that surrounds the vaginal opening. It has an opening at the center that allows menstrual fluid and blood to flow out of the body.
Some hymens are thicker than others, so if a woman has a thick hymen it may be harder for her to experience the breaking of the hymen during her first sexual experience. But there are other reasons as well due to which the hymen can tear like stretching, swimming, cycling, horse riding, inserting a toy inside the vagina, dancing, yoga, gymnastics, inserting tampons, getting a transvaginal ultrasound, climbing trees, etc.
Hymen can be repaired with a simple operation that involves excision of the torn edges before stitching them with fine dissolvable sutures. Your doctor will perform this operation by keeping you under local anesthetic with sedation. This surgery is not particularly invasive.
Take Away
The hymen is a thin membrane of tissue which is located at the opening of the vagina. The hymen is also known as the virgin's ring, maidenhead, cherry, etc. The hymen is a body part that every girl and woman has. The importance of hymen is that it protects the vaginal opening.
The shape of it may vary from person to person, there are different types of hymen, for example, some have thick or thin hymen, while some have no hymen at all.
