A hymen is a thin piece of tissue that’s at the opening of some people’s front hole or vagina. It only covers part of someone’s hole. There’s still enough of an opening for period blood to come out or for someone to use a tampon. Hymen’s stretch over time and when people do certain things. Things that can stretch someone’s hymen are like having sex, doing certain sports, or putting something in your privates.

When someone has sex for the first time, they might be worried about their hymen. For some people, their hymens get stretched and it feels painful or bleeds. But, that doesn’t happen to everyone. Some people are even born without a hymen!

What is a hymen?

A hymen is a piece of tissue around the opening of some people’s front holes or vaginas. Just like other body parts, everyone’s hymen can look different. Some people don’t one!

The hymen only covers part of someone’s privates. There’s still space for discharge, period blood, and other fluids to come out. There’s also space for things like tampons and fingers to go in.

Someone’s hymen can stretch for lots of different reasons. Some people who play lots of sports or use tampons could stretch their hymen’s. What someone’s looks like isn’t a good way to tell if they’ve had sex.

Can a hymen tear or stretch?

Hymens can tear or stretch, but it depends on the person! Some people are born with no hymen or one that only covers a small area, so theirs might not ever tear or stretch.

For other people, their hymens might cover a large area. So, when they put something inside of them, it might stretch their hymen. Some people’s might also tear from an injury, impact during sports, or rough sex.

Does it bleed the first time you have sex?

Some people’s hymens bleed the first time they have penetrative sex in their vaginas or front holes. A lot of people’s hymens thin after puberty. For some people, it stretches even more from exercise, masturbation, or tampons.

Lots of these people won’t have tearing or bleeding because there isn’t enough tissue left! But, some people might have lots of tissue left and it can bleed or tear. If you’re worried about your hymen tearing or bleeding you can stretch it out with fingers or a small dildo. This can help you be more comfortable using bigger things.

It’s also possible to bleed for different reasons. Sometimes, when people have sex for the first time they bleed because of things like not having enough lubrication.

Can you tell if someone’s a virgin by checking their hymen?

This is a really common myth! The truth is, you can’t tell if someone is a virgin from their hymen. Hymens naturally get thinner, stretch, or tear over time. Some people’s will change once they have sex, but other people’s won’t.

Because everyone’s bodies are so different, you can’t be sure if someone’s had sex from their hymen. Another point is that everyone thinks of virginity is different things! Some people think fingering or oral sex is losing your virginity, but other people don’t.

Everyone’s hymens look different and will change in different ways. If you want to know what yours looks like, you can use a small mirror to look!