Virginity

The term virginity indicates the status of not having had a sexual relationship, and it has a variety of meanings in different contexts. In medicine, the term describes a female who has had no sexual intercourse and has an intact hymen. In general, though, virginity is the status of never having had any kind of sexual relationship and is not restricted to females having an intact hymen. Virginity has been a controversial subject in different cultures, societies, and religions. Historically, the terms virginity and virgin have generally been used for females. A virgin woman is also referred to as a maiden. Even today, the importance of virginity in some societies, especially religious based, has caused much controversy regarding women's rights.

As a word, virginity is derived from the Latin virgo, which means “a female created for a male.” Even in modern times, virginity is still used mainly for females, though a man can also be considered a virgin based on his lack of sexual activity before marriage.

As mentioned, the virginity of a female is considered by many to be determined by the status of the hymen. The hymen is a membrane in the opening of the vagina, which typically is torn during the first sexual intercourse. An intact hymen generally is believed to be the evidence of virginity, while its absence is noted as the lack of virginity, but this is not true in all cases. Because the tissue of the hymen varies in shape and flexibility, for some, it is not torn during their first experience of intercourse. Further, a female with an intact hymen may have had other types of sexual relationships (e.g., anal, oral).

In rare cases, a girl may have no hymen at birth, or she may have an imperforated hymen, which completely blocks the opening of the vagina. An imperforated hymen usually is noticed at the time of first [Page 875]menstruation, because the menstrual blood cannot be excreted from the vagina and may cause abdominal pain. An imperforated hymen is perforated in a surgical procedure called a hymenotomy.

The act of losing one's intact hymen via sexual intercourse is called defloration and is an important event in the lives of girls in many societies. Regarding cultural perceptions that are based on perceived gender roles, losing one's virginity can be interpreted as a source of either honor or shame. Technical virginity is a term used for having an intact hymen despite participating in other sexual acts.

Hymenoplasty, or repairing the hymen to “restore” virginity, is a common surgical operation in societies that attribute so much value to the hymen as the sign of virginity. In such contexts, girls who have lost their virginity via sexual intercourse, rape, or even an accident (e.g., in a medical physical examination) cannot marry, because virginity is of utmost importance to their future husbands. Males, on the other hand, can easily hide their own premarital sexual activities. In these societies and cultures, typically females are considered to be of lower value than males. In some cultures, female circumcision or genital mutilation is done not only to prevent sexual relationships before marriage but also because it is forbidden for females to enjoy sex.

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