IS THE HYMEN A SYMBOL OF A WOMAN’S CHASTITY? OR JUST AN ANATOMICAL MYTH?
Every single day in various parts of the world a bundle of joy suffers time and again. Meanwhile, when a guy loses his virginity, it is considered to be his biggest achievement but at the same time, if the girl does the same, she is labelled by everyone as a “whore”. A woman of questionable character.
Who has made such biased rules and on what basis are we following them?
A tradition as old as time in certain communities involves the conducting of illegal virginity tests on prospective brides. As proven by researchers as well as the WHO, The UN human rights have issued an order strictly eliminating these tests as they have no scientific basis. It can be concluded by no test. Have you ever pondered upon the term “hymen” by which tests have been done to check the virginity threatening the rights of women?
WHAT IS A HYMEN?
Ø The hymen is a word that is originally derived from the Greek word “Hymenaios or Hymenaeus” which in Greek mythology is referred to as the god of marriage.
Ø The hymen is popularly known to be the flat tissue located on the opening of the vagina. It is also known as the ‘elastic membrane’. It is of a doughnut, ring-like shape or a moon shape that consists of a big hole at its centre.
Ø But at the same time, its presence in every female body varies. In some, it can even comprise of lobes. It is not rigid and penetrable, rather it is very flexible. It is fragile like a sheet of plastic wrapping.
Ø Hymen tearing can occur as it stretches through everyday activities like exercising, cycling, using menstrual cups and running. A piece of evidence has proven that it has no blood vessels or nerves running through it.
Ø While on the other hand it has been proven by medical research that some hymens are so expandable that they can accommodate a baby as well without breaking.
CONCLUSION
We need to get over such false claims and make it the new normal by taking the necessary actions to remove the stigma around the hymen.
· The first and foremost thing is that the notion of virginity should not be associated with purity culture. Consider it as an autonomous choice of women which will make all the difference at the end of the day.
· Strict actions should be taken by the law against such people who perform illegal virginity tests on women.
· We all have little control over the dynamic functions of our body and what matters is the awareness that should be created from a very young age by making “sex education” a compulsory subject in each and every school for both boys and girls. So that they are well aware and not overpowered by peer pressure, and societal judgements and feel that can get a valid answer to each and every query.
· It will make them feel contented at their tender ages where they go through numerous hormonal changes.
· A cultural change needs to be effected to get rid of these stereotypes and such changes begin from your own household. Parents should act like friends, talk to their children and avoid spreading misinformation about topics like virginity. Avoidance has only led to increasing crimes and devastation.
“UNDERSTAND, EMPOWER AND MAKE THIS WORLD A HEAVEN BY BIDDING A PERMANENT GOODBYE TO THE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH”
Picture Credit- WHO
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