hymen

Also known as hymenal membrane, maidenhead, virginal membrane

The hymen is a thin piece of mucosal tissue that surrounds or partially covers the vaginal opening. A small percentage of females are born with hymens that are imperforate and completely obstruct the vaginal canal. It forms part of the vulva and is similar in structure to the vagina. The word is from the Greek ὑμήν meaning a thin skin or membrane. Many mammals possess hymens due to similar reproductive development.

AI overview

The hymen is a thin piece of tissue that surrounds or partially covers the vaginal opening and forms part of the vulva. In rare cases, a person may be born with a hymen that completely blocks the vaginal canal, which requires medical attention, but otherwise the hymen's biological role is not well established.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Anatomy.Name: Hymen
Anatomy.Latin: hymen
Anatomy.Greek: ὑμήν
Anatomy.Image: Hymen en.svg
Anatomy.Caption: Various hymen defects (the shaded areas represent the vaginal opening)
Anatomy.Image2: Haultain_and_Ferguson_-_external_female_genital_organs.svg
Anatomy.Caption2: External genitals of a human female

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

1,744 papers

The adolescent hymen.ReviewThe Journal of reproductive medicine · 2002Edgardh K, Ormstad K
The prepubertal hymen.ReviewAustralian family physician · 2011Smith A
Hymen Restoration: An Experience From a Moroccan Center.Aesthetic surgery journal · 2021Lahlali A, Sawan D, SidAhmed-Mezi M et al.DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjab276
Hymen and virginity: What every paediatrician should know.Journal of paediatrics and child health · 2022Moussaoui D, Abdulcadir J, Yaron MDOI: 10.1111/jpc.15887
Medico-legal study of the hymen.Journal of forensic and legal medicine · 2023Al-Khateeb NGH, Al-Tameemi NMA, Jebur RM et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2023.102579
Hematocolpos due to imperforate hymen: a case report and literature systematic review.International urogynecology journal · 2023Marino G, Alfieri N, Tessitore IV et al.DOI: 10.1007/s00192-022-05270-x
Microperforate Hymen and Pyocolpos: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.ReviewJournal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology · 2018Tardieu SC, Appelbaum HDOI: 10.1016/j.jpag.2017.08.006
Imperforate Hymen: Clinical Pearls and Implications of Management.Clinical obstetrics and gynecology · 2022Hamouie A, Dietrich JEDOI: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000703

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Hymen en.svg

Show 1 more fact

Commons category: Hymen

Sources (7)

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~10 min read

Article

9 sections

Contents

Development and histology
Anatomic variations
Trauma
Cultural and religious significance
Womb fury
Other animals
See also
References
External links

In children, a common appearance of the hymen is crescent-shaped, although many shapes are possible. Each shape in the natural range has a Latinate name. During puberty, estrogen causes the hymen to change in appearance and become very elastic. Normal variations of the post-pubertal hymen range from thin and stretchy to thick and somewhat rigid. Very rarely, it may be completely absent.