Dear Girl_Wonder,

It's possible. The hymen is a thin, fleshy tissue that stretches across part of the opening of the vagina. It may look or feel like a little flap of skin. While some girls are born with a lot of hymenal tissue, others are born with so little that they appear to have no hymen.

Some girls stretch open their hymens the first time they have vaginal intercourse, but other girls stretch open their hymens in other ways — like using tampons, insertive masturbation, riding a bicycle, or doing gymnastics. In any case, a girl can't always tell if her hymen has been stretched or not by looking or feeling for it.

If a woman's hymen hasn't been stretched open before she has sexual intercourse, inserting a penis or a sex toy usually stretches it (some people call it "popping the cherry"). Some girls don't feel any pain when this happens, but others do. There might even be a little bit of bleeding if the hymen wasn't stretched open before intercourse. However, a woman should see a clinician if she's in a lot of pain or bleeding heavily after intercourse.

Scientists aren't sure exactly what the hymen does for the body, but it's very important for some people as a sign of virginity. Some people believe that a woman whose hymen has been stretched open is no longer a virgin. But having a hymen and being a virgin are not the same thing. In fact, some women are born with so little hymenal tissue, it may appear that they have none at all. Don't forget, there are many ways that a woman can stretch her hymen — sexual intercourse is just one of them. No one, not even a clinician, would be able to tell that a woman is not a virgin just by looking at her hymen.

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a medical problem, please call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment with the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.