Medical expert of the article
New publications
Hymen: What do men need to know?
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
[ What is the hymen?
This is a small fold that consists of a mucous membrane located in the vagina. The hymen is not completely sealed - it is partially open to menstrual flow. That is, it has small holes for this purpose. Some girls have a hymen that is too small, while others have a large area.
The hymen is permeated with many blood vessels, which is why blood appears when it is torn. There may be more or less of this blood, depending on the anatomical features of the hymen. Bleeding may be stronger or weaker and last for 1-5 days. During these days, you should use sanitary pads.
When does the hymen break?
It can be torn due to masturbation, as well as physical activity. Sports activities that can cause the hymen to be torn include cycling, horse riding, and motorcycle riding. Thus, even with a torn hymen, a girl can be innocent, but many people do not believe it. Due to lack of information and ignorance, I suppose.
If the hymen is tightly stretched before intercourse and is not stretched during physical activity, it will easily break during intercourse and the correct pose. This correct pose may be the girl on her back with her legs slightly pulled up to her chest. In this way, the hymen is stretched and easily broken. During defloration, the girl may or may not feel pain - it depends on its elasticity and the characteristics of intercourse, as well as on how relaxed the girl was.
If the hymen is not torn by the phallus, you need to see a doctor for surgical removal. It is painless, and takes 15 minutes under local anesthetics. And the girl can go home without any problems.
Causes of pain during first intercourse
Many girls are afraid of their first sexual intercourse because intercourse causes them pain. To reduce this pain or eliminate it completely, since it blocks the pleasure, you need to know a little more about sexual intercourse. The reasons for pain when the hymen ruptures can be its poor elasticity and the girl's tightness during sex.
Before intercourse, a girl can make her hymen more elastic by moving her finger in her vagina or allowing the man to do this. Pain during sex can also be associated with insufficient arousal of the girl. Therefore, lubrication from the vagina is released or is almost not released. This means that you need to use a pharmacy lubricant or continue love play for up to 15 minutes so that the girl is sufficiently aroused. If the arousal is sufficient, the blood flow to the genitals increases, the girl's vaginal canal expands and lengthens at this time, and this causes the release of lubrication in large quantities. Then intercourse will be more comfortable for both.
It happens that a girl produces little lubrication, and then sexual intercourse, and accordingly defloration, can be very painful. Then you need to use lubricants, but it is also advisable to know more about them. If you use lubricant and a condom during defloration, then you need to take into account some features. During the first sexual intercourse, a girl has a huge chance of getting pregnant. But if you use oil-based lubricant and a latex condom, then this lubricant can stretch and tear it. Therefore, when using latex condoms, you need to buy water-based lubricant - it does not destroy latex.
However, you can simply buy condoms that are already treated with lubricant. This makes sexual intercourse much easier. In addition, these lubricants are usually bactericidal, which protects both from infection.
When should a couple see a gynecologist?
If a couple has little knowledge in the sexual sphere, both the girl and the guy can consult a sexologist or gynecologist for a consultation before the first sexual intercourse. The doctor will tell you which contraceptives are best to use and how best to conduct the sexual intercourse itself. In addition, before having intercourse, it is not superfluous to make sure that both do not have genital infections and problems with the reproductive system.
A girl may experience bleeding after her first sexual intercourse, which goes away on its own, without medical assistance. But if this bleeding is too heavy or does not stop for more than 5 days, you should see a doctor. Medical assistance will also be required if the girl's pain does not go away for more than 2-3 days after sexual intercourse, but only gets worse.
The hymen is not an obstacle to full sexual intercourse if the couple has at least minimal knowledge about its features.