Mr. Wang, 33, met his wife Lili through a matchmaker, and the two soon got engaged.
After getting engaged, the couple underwent premarital checkups, and since the results were normal, they happily registered their marriage. A month later, they invited relatives and friends to a wedding ceremony.
On their wedding day, Mr. Wang was stunned. He discovered that his wife's chest was abnormally flat, and they were unable to have normal sexual intercourse . This continued for several days, and Mr. Wang completely broke down.
But Mr. Wang comforted himself that there might still be a solution, so he took Lili to the hospital for a gynecological examination. The results showed that she was born without a uterus or ovaries and had a severely deformed vagina. She was diagnosed with "imperforate hymen" and it was a relatively severe case.
The doctor arranged for Lili to undergo mechanical vaginal dilation treatment, but the results were still unsatisfactory. Faced with this outcome, although Mr. Wang still loved his wife, pressure from his parents ultimately led to their separation.
How do women with imperforate genitalia differ from normal women?
When it comes to "imperforate genitalia," many people may be confused. Medically, it is called congenital absence of the vagina, which refers to a congenital malformation of the external genitalia caused by certain factors or gene mutations during embryonic development.
The incidence of imperforate hymen (also known as vaginal agenesis) is approximately 1 in 4,500. Given China's massive population, this translates to roughly 300,000 women with this condition , making the overall situation quite serious. Compared to other women, women with imperforate hymen are characterized by the absence of a vagina, imperforate hymen, and abnormal uterine development.
Specifically, this can be manifested as:
1. Primary amenorrhea: This is the most common manifestation of uterine malformation. Many women are diagnosed with this condition after going to the hospital for examination because they have not started menstruating during puberty. It is mainly caused by abnormal uterine development .
2. Difficulty in sexual intercourse: Some people only realize something is wrong when they are unable to have sex on their wedding night. Without a vagina, normal sexual intercourse is impossible.
3. Periodic lower abdominal pain: Some patients have normal uterine and vaginal development, but due to hymen problems, menstrual blood cannot flow out and can only accumulate in the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes and flow back into the abdominal cavity , eventually causing abdominal pain.
Therefore, if female friends have the above problems, it is best to go to the hospital as soon as possible to see if it is "imperforate hymen".
There are real and fake stone women, so don't rush to cry.
Because the public doesn't know much about "imperforate hymen," many people are at a loss when they realize they have it.
@Chen Chen: "I have a boyfriend who loves me. At the beginning of the year, we decided to take our relationship to the next level. But after trying several times, we still couldn't have normal sex because I couldn't get penetration. This made us both very embarrassed. I went to the hospital for a checkup and was diagnosed with imperforate hymen. I broke down on the spot, and my boyfriend didn't say a word."
@EveryoneIsSuffering: "I'm only 18 years old. When the doctor told me I have 'imperforate hymen,' my mind went completely blank. I didn't know what to do. Can I still get married and have children? Will my future partner look down on me because I'm not a normal girl?"
@花花世界: " I was diagnosed with vaginal septum when I was 19, but luckily it was a false case , just a vaginal septum, and a simple surgery was all it took."
@LinMeimei: "I haven't had my period for a long time, so I went to the hospital for a checkup. They said I have imperforate hymen, which I had never heard of before. I looked it up online and I burst into tears. What am I going to do now? But later the doctor comforted me and said it was just a false diagnosis, that is, an imperforate hymen, and that they could just cut the hymen . Thank God..."
It is evident that there are true and false cases of vaginal atresia. Generally speaking, true vaginal atresia is due to congenital vaginal closure, absence, or incomplete uterine development. Treatment is more difficult and has a greater impact on patients. Depending on individual circumstances, artificial vagina surgery is required. After surgery, normal sexual intercourse is possible, but the chance of pregnancy is low.
"False stone women" mainly refers to women with imperforate hymen or vaginal septum, but whose vagina and uterus develop normally. In most cases, it is only necessary to cut the hymen or remove the vaginal septum, and they can have normal sexual intercourse and give birth.
Therefore, if imperforate hymen is suspected, a standardized examination should be conducted to determine the exact condition before targeted treatment can be given to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
Further Reading: Imperforate Hymen is Not an Incurable Disease
"Can imperforate hymen be cured?" is a question many patients are concerned about. It's important to understand that imperforate hymen is not incurable. With proper treatment, women with imperforate hymen can live just like any other woman.
21-year-old Xiao Chen has not had her period since puberty. She has been to the county hospital, but there is no solution. This makes her very distressed and self-conscious.
Later, through an introduction, she went to the Department of Gynecology II of Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital for treatment. After examination, it was found that she had congenital absence of vagina and her uterus was also somewhat abnormal, belonging to "rudimentary uterus". This kind of uterus has no function, so she cannot menstruate or have sexual intercourse like normal women, which is the so-called "stone woman".
Based on Xiao Chen's condition, the doctor arranged for her to undergo "rudimentary hysterectomy + sigmoid colon vaginoplasty" . The surgery went smoothly, and with careful treatment and care, Xiao Chen is now able to have sex and give birth like a normal woman.
Xiao Chen's story is not an isolated case; many women with imperforate ovaries have been cured, so don't give up easily. Currently, common treatments for imperforate ovaries include:
1. Non-surgical treatment
For example, the pressure method , simply put, involves using a soft mold to push the closed vestibular mucosa of a normal vagina toward the head and side along the vaginal axis to form an "artificial vagina" . It has minimal side effects, but it is not suitable for everyone.
2. Surgical treatment
Under the guidance of laparoscopy, an artificial acupoint is created. The artificial tissue can grow in 7-10 days . However, if you want to have sex, you have to wait about 6 months .
In summary, the initial symptoms of vaginal agenesis are not obvious, so many people find it difficult to detect in time. Generally speaking, women who have not started menstruating during puberty should go to the hospital for examination to rule out the possibility of vaginal agenesis. After that, they should receive timely treatment based on the examination results to strive for a speedy recovery.
References:
[1] "What's the difference between a woman without a vagina ('stone woman') and a normal person? The answer is heartbreaking." Zhihu. 2021-07-03
[2] What is the folk tale of "stone women"? Are they unable to have sex? He Health Research Institute. 2020-10-03
[3] "On the Treatment of Agenesis". Dr. Gong Xiaoming. 2014-04-20
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