7 Things You Probably NEVER Knew About Your Hymen

The hymen is a membrane just inside the opening of your vagina. 

Traditionally (and unfortunately), for years, the breaking of the hymen has been what makes a woman no longer considered a virgin.

The problem there? Your hymen is just a piece of fragile tissue. 

The condition of your hymen has little to do with your sexual experience.

(And, to be clear, your level of sexual experience has little to do with your value as a person!) 

And fundamentally, I think that's the most important fact you need to know about breaking the hymen. 

On top of that one BIG falsehood, here are 7 more things you might not know about your hymen.

1. You don't need to have sex to have a broken hymen. 

Giphy

Because of its location (just 1 centimeter inside the vagina) the hymen is easy to damage or tear. 

Women can break their hymens horseback riding, riding a bicycle, or doing other activities that have nothing to do with sex. 

2. The hymen doesn't always break during sex. 

The hymen doesn't have to break during sex. 

While tearing is reported by 43% of women, each hymen is different. 

So while some women might have thin hymens that are easily ruptured, other women with thicker hymens may experience no tearing at all during intercourse. 

3. Your hymen has nothing to do with your virginity. 

Giphy

Your hymen has nothing to do with your virginity. 

This is a myth that was created by men when women were still considered property.

A woman with a hymen can be sexually active and even pregnant, just like a woman without a hymen might NOT be sexually active. 

4. The hymen changes over time. 

The hymen changes as you age.

It thickens, thins, ripples and swells during different stages of your life, like during pregnancy and menopause. 

5. Nobody knows what your hymen does.

Giphy

The best guess, according to researchers, is that the hymen is leftover tissue from fetal development. 

Thanks for nothing, fetal development. 

6. People pay for fake hymens. 

Because of the terrible idea that a woman is only valuable if she is pure, many women are forced to BUY fake hymens.

During their fake first sexual encounter, they rupture and bleed so that there is "proof" she is a virgin. 

This is happening today, in way too many cultures. 

We have robots living in our homes that can tell us what the weather is like, and women still have to buy fake hymens. 

Think on that. 

7. Some women need to have their hymens removed. 

Giphy

1 in 200 women are born with hymens that make it impossible for them to even insert a tampon.

These women require surgery in order to lead healthy happy lives.

But after that, they should be good to go (for sex, tampons, or just life in general).