Did you know some girls are born with no hymen? And how much do we all know about hymen? Hymen, a controversial aspect that decides the virginity of a girl! It is commonly known that during the first sexual intercourse, it breaks with some light bleeding which is a sign of losing virginity. However, this concept is no longer accepted as it is flawed. The entire concept of the hymen is a bit more complicated. With age due to reasons such as puberty, change in estrogen levels, and several activities like horse riding, cycling, jumping can affect it. What Is Hymen? It is a thin membrane made of mucosal tissue that surrounds or partially covers the opening of the vagina. It is a part of the female genitalia. It plays an important role in the menstrual flow out of the vaginal opening. Types Of Hymen Hymens are of different types and they come in various shapes and sizes. It differs from woman to woman. Most women have a half moon shaped or crescent shaped. Normal Hymen The crescent shaped is considered as the normal shape of hymen. The normal type of the hymen covers the vaginal opening partially. Septate Hymen This type has a band of additional hymenal tissue in the middle of the vaginal opening. As a result, it creates two small vaginal openings instead of one. It is tricky to insert tampons with a septate hymen in most cases. Symptoms There are no reported symptoms related to the septate one. Young girls mostly find out its presence on reaching puberty when they face issues with the insertion and removal of tampons. Risks and Treatment With the diagnosis of Septate, it can be operated which is a minor surgery, to create the normal sized vaginal opening. It is important to rectify a septate, otherwise, it will cause infertility. In some cases, the band of extra tissue tears on sexual intercourse, which can be painful. Microperforate Hymen The chances of occurrence of microperforate hymen are rare. It is considered a partially obstructive congenital anomaly. Vagina with a microperforate has a thin membrane that covers the vaginal opening almost completely but with a tiny hole in the middle. Symptom Young girls mostly find out if they have a microperforate at the time of puberty. This is due to the build-up of the menstrual blood. This occurs because the menstrual blood is not able to flow properly out of the tiny vaginal opening. Other possible symptoms may include- unusually longer menstrual bleeding, difficult to insert and remove tampons, pelvic pain. Risks and Treatment According to research published in the Science Direct journal, girls with microperforate are susceptible to recurring UTIs, vulvovaginitis and ascending pelvic infections. This condition can be rectified with minor surgery to make it like the normal. In doing so, it prevents further severe complications. Imperforate Hymen In the case of the imperforate hymen, the thin membrane covers the entire opening of the vagina. Imperforate is usually detected at the time of birth or once the young girl attains puberty. According to a research article by Marc R. Laufer, perforation occurs during the 5th week of pregnancy. Failure of perforation at this stage leads to the occurrence of imperforate. Symptom Due to this, the menstrual blood has no way out and flows back up which causes abdominal or back pain. Some girls even face trouble passing urine. Risk and Treatment Imperforate if not surgically rectified can cause medical complications in the vaginal area and uterus. Such as the vagina may get filled with pus, mucus, and blood. So, on diagnosis, doctors recommend the surgery to make it normal to avoid complications. Cribriform Hymen This is another rare condition. In this condition, the thin layer of the membrane covers the entire vaginal opening with few holes on it. Scary, isn’t it? With the presence of such hymen, the menstrual blood can flow out up to some level. Symptom The symptoms are noticeable in reaching puberty when the issues arise with the insertion of tampons, longer duration of periods. Risk and treatment Cribriform in most cases tears apart with strenuous physical activity or with the insertion of a tampon. In case, it doesn’t break, then only surgery is necessary to make it the normal way. Who knew right, that there are different types. And now you know about it. Most of them are rare and congenital conditions and there is no direct explanation as to why such types are formed. If you are worried about what your type is and facing some issues related to this, the only way to find out and treat it is with a physical medical check-up. Do not neglect yourself. It may be awkward but it is necessary to rule out the doubts. Moreover the above mentioned types are rare occurrences. Take Care♥
