Hymen

What is Hymen (HM) and Where is it?

Hymen is a thin membrane that surrounds the opening to vagina. Hymen could be in different shapes. The most common Hymen is shaped like a half moon. This shape allows menstrual blood to flow out of a girl's vagina.

According to Wikipedia the Hymen (also called maidenhead) 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 means "vaginal-flap." It was also the name for the Greek god of marriage, later also the Greek god of membranes.

During development of the fetus (at early stages) there is no opening into the vagina at all. The thin layer of tissue that covers the vagina at this time usually divides to a certain extent prior to birth, forming the Hymen .

In general newborn babies, who are still under the influence of the mother's hormones, have thick Hymen . Usually at that time Hymen is pale pink and redundant (folds in on itself and may protrude). During first 2-4 years of life, the baby produces hormones which continue keeping Hymen in the same conditions.

By the time girls reach school-age, this hormonal influence has stopped and the Hymen becomes thin, smooth and delicate. Hymen is very sensitive to touch.

Starting from puberty onwards the appearance of the Hymen is affected by increased concentration of estrogens. Hymen thickens and becomes pale pink. It is very well vasculated (a lot of small vessels and capillaries). During first sexual contacts usually Hymen is ruptures and most girls are facing bleeding (volume depends on the type and shape of the Hymen) - it is the time of  "loosing virginity".

There is a surgical procedure that can repair the Hymen so that it is intact. The procedure, known as hymenoplasty, has become a popular procedure for some females.

Types of Hymen

Type of the Hymen is genetically determined and different girls have different types of Hymen. As it was already mentioned - Hymen is a thin membrane that surrounds the opening to vagina and the most common (normal) Hymen is shaped like a half moon.
The anatomical illustration of the female external sexual organs (including Hymen) is demonstrated in the graphic above.
In some cases Hymen has different shapes which could create problems for first intime contacts and/or for use of some contraceptives and/or for use of tampons.

Imperforate Hymen

An imperforate Hymen can be diagnosed at birth but sometimes the diagnosis isn't made until the teen years. An imperforate Hymen is a thin membrane that completely covers the opening to a young girl's or young woman's vagina. Menstrual blood cannot flow out of the vagina. This usually causes the blood to back up into the vagina and the abdomen (belly) resulting in abdominal and/or back pain. Some teens may also have pain with bowel movements and difficulty passing urine.
The treatment for an imperforate hymen is minor surgery to remove the extra hymenal tissue and create a normal sized vaginal opening so that menstrual blood can flow out of the vagina.

Microperforate Hymen

A microperforate Hymen is a thin membrane that almost completely covers the opening to a young women's vagina. Some menstrual blood may be able to flow out of the vagina but the opening is very small. A teen with a microperforate Hymen usually will not be able to get a tampon into her vagina and may not realize that she has a very tiny opening. If she is able to put a tampon into her vagina she may not be able to remove it when it becomes filled with blood. The treatment is minor surgery to remove the extra hymenal tissue making a normal sized opening for menstrual blood to flow out.

Septate Hymen

A septate Hymen is when the thin hymenal membrane has a band of extra tissue in the middle that causes two small vaginal openings instead of one. Teens with a septate Hymen may have trouble getting a tampon in or trouble getting a tampon out. The treatment for a septate Hymen is minor surgery to remove the extra band of tissue and create a normal sized vaginal opening.