Some Myths And Facts About Hymen And Oral genital, Masturbation, Sex during menses Myths
Myths :
1 A woman is not a virgin if her hymen is broken.
2 Girls should not perform physical exercises because that breaks their hymen.
3 Pregnancy cannot occur with intact hymen.
Fact :
.png)
The hymen is a thin membrane that stretches over the opening of the vagina. It has perforations of varying sizes and in each woman the pattern of perfortion is different. Some women have unperforted hymens that need to be surgically ruptured to allow the flow of menstrual blood. In some women the hymen is totally obliterated. The hymen can be broken by digital manipulation or insertion of a tampoon (sanitary pad that can be pused into the vagina).
However, there are only few reports of hymen tearing due to vigorous exercises even, like horse riding or bicycling. Such events have been rare and girls need not be held back from any activity for this reason. Given the variation in anatomy of hymen it is wrong to link it with virginity . Unfortunately in societies where virginity is considered a virtue, a girl with broken hymen carries an unjustified stigma of being of questionable character. Ideally, in a good relationship no physical evidence should be necessary to prove virtuous behaviour of the partner. Further, an intct hymen does not guarantee virtuous behaviour of girls anyway. On the other hand, as in most women the hymen is perforted, sperms can pass into the vagina and to the fallopian tubes if the semen ejaculation takes place near the vagina and pregnancy can occur even if the hymen is intact.
Myths :
1 Oral genital sex is abnormal
2 Masturbation is harmful
3 Sex during menses and pregnancy is prohibited
Fact :
In a good relationship sex is a physical expression of emotional bonding. There are no rules to follow in the sexual act as long as the partners are comfortable with each other. With consent of each other any form of sex, that both find agreeable and satisfying, including oral genital sex can be enjoyed. There is nothing abnormal about oral sex. Likewise various postures during coitus that in no way are physically disadvantageous to either of the partners and are enjoyed with mutual understanding are also a normal part of sexual behaviour. The important aspect in this relationship is the respect for eah other's wishes and willingness to accept each other.
Masturbation too is not a harmful or abnormal practice. Bothe men and women alone or together do indulge in masturbation. Nonetheless, it is considered to be an unclean way of enjoying sex that is often not satisfying.
As long as both the partners are comfortable, sex during menses is not prohibited. However, it must be borne in mind that during this period the chances of transmission of infection (like HIV) is high. Use of condom is recommended to take care of such possibilities. Similarly, there is nothing against having sex during pregnancy if it causes no discomfort of any sort to the woman and there is no medical advice against it. If the latter is the case, then it should be followed strictly to avoid any complications that could jeopardise the pregnancy.
