There is so much brouhaha over “HYMEN” in Indian society. Lots of customs, rituals, and practices limit woman’s dignity to the hymen. Most of the customs are followed on myths. So, it is necessary to bust the myth of hymen. We will tell here “what hymen is exactly about?”, types of hymen, how hymen can break, can a menstrual cup break hymen and many more questions.
What is Hymen?
Hymen is a name of soft tissues that covers the opening of vagina. It is commonly believed that a hymen breaks only during first sexual intercourse, and no other reason can break the hymen. There are many marriage ceremony customs in different societies of India to test the virginity of a newlywed bride and define her chastity that she is “pure”.
MYTHS about Hymen
Many people believe that hymen is up inside the vagina which is “NOT TRUE”. It is just on the opening of vagina. This is a very thin skin which covers the outside of the vaginal opening or just part of it. A female can see it with the help of a mirror.
Type of Hymen Present in Women
As you can see here in the figure, some hymens have holes in the center and some may not. Some only go round the outer edge of the vagina while other covers the vaginal opening. Some may be septet, imperforate or crubiform. There is also example of no hymen at all.
Menstrual Cups and Tampons Can Break Hymen?
It depends! You can choose specially designed menstrual cups for virgin girls or women who don’t have sexual experience. Generally, tampons and cups cannot break hymen. But, it really depends on the type of hymen you have. It may also happen that you are born without hymen or it may get torn with horse-riding, strenuous exercise, and other sports.
A VIRGIN Must Have a Hymen?
Most men and also women in India believe that virgin woman is supposed to have a hymen OR if the hymen breaks a girl is no longer a virgin. This is just a myth. Hymen may also be absent in woman who have never had sexual experience. Some people are born without hymen; some may break it accidentally, or during non-sexual activities like sintering a menstrual cup. Riding a bike, horse riding, stretching, falling from height or gymnastics can break hymen.
Hymens are THICK and TOUGH?
No! Hymen is very soft skin or layer of tissue which is not thick neither tough. It is not hard enough that any activity cannot break it. Hymen is so soft that a hard pressure can break it. This is why there is a taboo in Indian society that “women are delicate” and they “must not go for certain jobs”.
Using TAMPON or MENSTRUAL CUP Can Take Away Virginity?
No! As long as a woman is not penetrated sexually, she should be considered virgin. This is simple and a woman need not worry about her virginity just because she is using a more healthy way to tackle periods. Menstrual cup or tampon cannot take away one’s virginity.
Hymen –A Litmus Test of Virginity & Character
Some countries and societies don’t see women without hymen with respect. This is just a hypocrisy and sign of backwardness. Just like some countries have FGM as their customs, there are also virginity tests for women in Indian society. A civilized society must not follow such norms. Because of above mentioned reasons, condition of the hymen simply IS NOT a parameter of one’s character.
