The hymen is a band-like structure formed by the migration of the vaginal mucosa 3-5 centimeters from the vaginal opening. Therefore, Dutch experts prefer to call it the "virgin band".
The hymen will not easily break during exercise.
Because the word "membrane" often evokes a sense of opacity, people imagine a thin membrane inside the vagina that separates it from the outside world, like a barrier. Some even believe that during the first time, they will encounter something that requires great force to break through this barrier, hence the term "breaking virginity."
In fact, the hymen is like a ribbon or hair tie that women wear nowadays. It has many folds along its edges and is very soft. These folds are located on the vaginal wall, fitting very well, and they are not located at the vaginal opening, but inside the vagina (3-5 centimeters away from the opening). Normally, the anterior and posterior walls of the vagina are completely closed, ensuring female physiological hygiene. Previously, we exaggerated the impact of exercise on the hymen. Dutch experts point out that unless one repeatedly engages in strenuous splits, suffers severe straddle injuries, or rides a bicycle for extended periods on very bumpy roads with strong impacts to the genitals, no other exercise will cause the hymen to rupture.
The idea that the first time is always painful is a fallacy.
Scientific research has found that the hymen has relatively few nerve endings, and hymen rupture itself does not cause significant pain. However, since ancient times, people have had a preconceived notion that the first time will be painful. Therefore, women often define the feeling of fullness as the vagina being stretched open for the first time and the sensation of friction on the vaginal mucosa as pain, leading to many tragic cases of female sexual fear. Given the diverse opinions and the increasing prominence of this issue in clinical cases, I would like to clarify my views here and hope to answer your questions.
First, let's consider an interesting phenomenon: The idea that there's no bleeding during the first sexual intercourse is widely accepted. This means many people know the hymen is a thin membrane that easily ruptures during vigorous activity, often without the woman's awareness. In other words, it's been proven that this membrane doesn't cause pain when it ruptures, at least not significant pain; otherwise, how could a woman not notice? So why is it that while people accept the lack of bleeding during the first sexual intercourse, they don't accept the idea that the hymen rupture is painless?
The reason is simple: word of mouth always says "the first time is very painful," and literature, film, and other media also portray the pain of the first sexual experience, closely linking this feeling with a girl's innocence. This has created a synesthetic in people's minds: the first sexual experience signifies loss, pain is something a woman must overcome in this ritual, and women are destined to suffer. Therefore, women, at the very least, must be cautious about their first sexual experience to avoid pain. If the man doesn't want you, all your pain and sacrifice will have been in vain! In this context, no woman believes the first sexual experience won't be painful, and the more innocent a woman is, the more pain she will experience. This is seen as proof of how much she loves her partner and how noble her sacrifice is. Because women cannot guarantee 100% protection against bleeding on their first sexual experience, they use the pain as evidence. This unconsciously reinforces the concept that "the sensation in the vagina during the first sexual experience must be pain," which has almost become a collective subconscious, leaving both men and women with no room for doubt. Men will therefore cherish women's sacrifices, and women will therefore demand men's loyalty.
Such a concept certainly has its reasons for existing; it is a classic product of patriarchal cultural hegemony. Too many women are afraid of this so-called pain, even terrified by the thought of it, and are unable to have normal marital sex for many years after marriage. This leads to societal pressure regarding infertility, divorce tragedies, and feelings of guilt towards their husbands, causing long-term psychological stress and a series of psychological and physiological problems, such as anxiety, depression, gynecological inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and skin diseases. Therefore, to eliminate this erroneous concept, it is essential to fundamentally liberate women's sexual rights, allowing them to enjoy the same rights as men and to respect each other. Only then will women not feel disadvantaged, sacrificed, or bullied for engaging in consensual sex. At the same time, the explanation of the hymen in sex education must be thorough.
The hymen is a natural physiological barrier of the vagina, playing a role in protecting the vaginal environment of young girls. However, this protective function is not important, as rupture does not increase the chance of vaginal infection. Therefore, the hymen is actually just a remnant of genetic evolution, and many people are born with a very faint hymenal remnant. As they grow and develop, this membrane gradually stretches, creating many openings. Some of these openings merge to form larger holes, allowing menstrual blood to pass through. When the openings are very large, the hymen becomes almost invisible.
Finally, let's explain why the vast majority of women say "the first time is very painful." In a natural state, the anterior and posterior walls of the vagina fit together very well. When a foreign object enters the vagina for the first time, the vaginal mucosa receives unprecedented and novel stimulation. Our brain must process this new sensation. If we perceive this new feeling as touch, a feeling of being stretched, or a feeling of fullness, it won't trigger a fearful emotional response. However, if we have a preconceived notion that the first time will be painful, then this new sensation will naturally be perceived as pain, causing fear, because everyone is afraid of pain. If we have positive expectations about sex, then we will perceive this feeling as strong sexual stimulation and sensation, leading to sexual arousal. This can be explained using basic psychology; it's not mysterious.
In conclusion, the notion that the first sexual experience is inevitably painful is untenable from both psychological and sociological perspectives. This notion hinders women's normal sexual lives and their enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Women should acquire scientific knowledge about sex, change unscientific sexual beliefs, overcome their fear of their first sexual experience, and enjoy sexual happiness as soon as possible.
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