What is a woman's hymen?

Many people know about the hymen, but they don't understand it well, and there are even many misunderstandings. It is not only a symbol of chastity in the traditional sense, it also has many other functions. Young people often have a special sense of mystery about the hymen. In fact, there is nothing special about it. The following is an introduction to the woman's hymen.

The hymen is a relic of the juvenile state and is the physiological tissue of the immature female in terms of body function. Regarding the function of the hymen, it can prevent the entry of harmful microorganisms and sperm with weak motility.

Vaginal valve and urethral valve are academic terms for the hymen, but the former is mostly used in other animals, while the latter is mostly used in humans.

The hymen does not grow inside the vagina. It is a thin membrane with a hole in the center that covers the outer opening of the vagina. It is located at the vaginal opening, that is, the junction of the vagina and the vaginal vestibule. The vagina is located in the depression at the lower back of the labia majora (the depth of the depression is about 2 to 3 cm).

It is a thin layer of mucous membrane located at the opening of the vagina to the outside, with a hole in the middle that allows menstrual blood to flow out of the vagina. At birth, most baby girls have a circular hymen, meaning that the tissue is evenly distributed in all directions around the vaginal opening. As girls reach around 3 years old, a crescent-shaped hymen becomes more common - with less hymen tissue on the side of the vaginal opening toward the clitoris and more hymen tissue away from the clitoris.

As females grow older, the shape of their adult hymens begins to vary greatly, and some individuals are even born without a hymen. Of course, the reason some animals do not have a hymen is because the hymen disappears during the embryonic period, but such animals often reach sexual maturity early. The common types of this film are shown in the figure:

Among these many types, the most extreme is Imperforate hymen, followed by Microperforate hymen. If not detected in time, it can block the flow of menstrual blood, causing vaginal hemorrhage (haematocolpos) and abdominal pain. The most common treatment is a hymenotomy: a "T-shaped", "X-shaped", or "cross-shaped" incision is made to open the hymen and remove excess tissue.

The above is an introduction to the female hymen. I believe everyone has a comprehensive and correct understanding of the hymen. The hymen is an important thing to protect young women, but the hymen is very fragile and there are great differences between each person. When women become adults, the hymen becomes less important.