In some cultures, a woman’s hymen can affect her marriage prospects, her family’s reputation, and even her very life. The virginity of the bride is valued for religious, social, and even economic reasons. In many Mediterranean and African cultures, the husband’s family may take revenge through violent punishment and banishment of the bride because the ’non-virgin’ bride ’shamed’ them. Clearly, those who seek hymenoplasty, which is the cosmetic and surgical repair or restoration of the hymen, believe that the procedure is necessary for their social status, happiness, and even preservation of life.

Where is the hymen located?

While many people believe the hymen is located inside the vagina, it is actually situated outside of the vagina. The hymen is part of the vulva, which is an external genital organ. The hymen is a thin layer of tissue that is easy to break. Some women break their hymen during their first intercourse while others during tampon use, sport or other activity.

The hymen pictures, above, show different kinds of hymen and the last one shows how a hymen looks like after hymen reconstruction.

Types of hymen repair

Hymenoplasty is a simple procedure which repairs a torn hymen. There are two popular types of hymenoplasty; simple and alloplant.

Simple Hymenoplasty

In this method the doctor reconstructs the remnants of the broken hymen by pulling the hymen tissue together and closing the tear. It involves a simple procedure and could take three to seven days. The risk of fever and infection is low since the hymen is relatively avascular. Unfortunately, the results of simple hymenoplasty are not long lasting so it is best performed in less than month before the next intercourse.

Alloplant

If your hymen cannot be restored then a biomaterial is inserted to act as a hymen. The hymen implant or alloplant is inserted through an easy procedure done under local anesthetic. It usually takes less than two hours and the patient can return to work the next day. The good thing about this method is that the implant cannot be distinguished easily from a real hymen!

For some women throughout the world, hymenoplasty is a prayer answered and in other nations it is highly unthinkable. In Turkey for instance, while no figures are kept on the number of hymenoplasty operations conducted each year, the medical community agrees that the demand is increasing for ’virginity restoration’ procedures. The issue of virginity is still an important factor in many relationships in Turkish society and the failure to maintain virginity until marriage can, for a woman, mean social alienation, forced marriage with inappropriate match, physical abuse and in some cases death.

In Egypt the situation is similar. When Nada, who lives in Cairo, went off to college, she was young, hopeful and innocent. She met Omar in her second year, and believed it was love at first sight. He professed his undying affection for her, and made her feel wanted. It seemed natural to her that their relationship would progress physically as it matured emotionally.

Omar had promised that as soon as he was able to, he would ask for her hand in marriage, but after graduation the two drifted apart.

His promise of forever was broken, and so was Nada’s hymen.

’We were young and in love,’ said Nada. ’I never thought the day would come when I wouldn’t be with him. I made the decision to give him my virginity. Now, not a day goes by without me wanting to take it back.’

Nada is considering reclaiming her virginity by undergoing hymen reconstructive surgery. In a society where virginity is sacred, and is the only manifestation of purity, this seems like her only choice. For women in the Middle East virginity is used as a measure of worth.

’(On the wedding night) The men expect to feel resistance, they expect the woman to feel pain, and they expect to see blood,’ she said. ’If any of these expectations aren’t met, I will have ruined my family name. That can’t happen.’ Illusions of Virginity by Sarah O. Wali-First Published: July 13, 2008 - Daily News Egypt 2007

SOURCES: www.revirgination.net/hymenrepair.html, G:\Daily News Egypt - Full Article.mht