The Hymen

There's a lot of misinformation about the hymen - the thin membrane that's located at the front of the vagina. The membrane can be solid (pretty unusual), perforated, or almost non-existent. It's often thought that the hymen stays intact until the time of first intercourse, which then results in bleeding. But some women may not bleed at all when they lose their virginity because they may have been born without a hymen or it may have been torn or stretched long before they became sexually active.

The pain that a woman may experience during her first intercourse is usually less related to the tearing of the hymen and more related to lack of sexual arousal. If she's scared about what is about to happen, her vagina may constrict, and she may lack sufficient lubrication for things to proceed smoothly. It usually goes a lot better the second time - and the third, and the fourth...