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The hymen really is shrouded in mystery, as you say. I'll tell you what I know. The hymen is a thin membrane that partially covers the vaginal opening and whose elasticity increases during adolescence. The most common medical abnormality is complete closure (imperforate hymen), which can result in various gynecological complications such as retained products of menstruation. Decrease in the size of the opening is often a cause of discomfort/pain with initial intercourse. This can be relieved via dilatation or a minor surgical procedure.

Ask Dr. Bob Dr. Robert Burton, who is a neurologist and novelist, answers health questions every Monday in Salon Health & Body. Please e-mail your queries to him at AskDrBob@ salon.com.

Hymens are complicated. Forensic specialists often find it difficult to determine whether a hymen is "intact" when they are examining sexual assault victims. Some say that a non-scarred hymen that will not admit a finger is considered "intact"; a hymenal opening accommodating two fingers or a vaginal speculum, with evidence of a deficit or scarring at the lower pole, indicates past sexual (or possibly, non-sexual) penetration. However, other authors note that the hymen is often a slack, thick, folded, stretchable tissue that may persist after digital or penile penetration. A wide range of anatomic variation is common and there are often minor irregularities that have been noted in studies of sexually abused girls. Because of the variation in what is considered "normal," a significant percentage of abused young girls have no definite abnormal findings.

My conclusion: Virginity is often a close call.

An intriguing side issue is the increasing incidence of cosmetic surgery to restore a tattered hymen. Apparently virginity's stock is rising. (Is this something like sending your genitals traveling backward in a time machine?) Given the confusion over normal, I think you're better off claiming innocent until proven guilty rather than submitting to a tissue-enhancement morality hoax.

And about the word itself: "Hymen" throbs with gender confusion. Hymen was either the son of Apollo and Urania (kissing cousin to Uranus) or, according to others, of Bacchus and Venus. He was the god of marriage and presided over nuptial ceremonies. How about the maidenhead being named after a male god as a tidy summary of the history of male domination?

As to its purpose, there is no one agreed-upon medical explanation. Some believe that the hymen serves as a protective membrane against inadvertent infection in the prepubertal girl. But there is always a problem with attributing purpose to biology. It is true that most body parts have a function, but this doesn't necessarily imply original purpose. So we continue to speculate. Think of the hymen as an embryological dead end.

Next page | Can brain damage cause immoral or amoral behavior?