Does Having a Hymen Mean You're a Virgin?

Some people believe that you're not a virgin if your hymen is stretched open. But having a hymen and being a virgin are not the same thing. Some people are born with hymens that are naturally open. And many other activities besides sex can stretch your hymen.

Are you still a virgin if your hymen didn't break?

The first time a girl has sex, the hymen stretches and may tear and bleed a little. That is why people say the hymen is "broken." Putting in a tampon can stretch a girl's hymen and even tear it, but this isn't common. Even if does happen, she is still a virgin until she has had sex.

Does hymen determine virginity?

Everyone born with a vagina has a hymen, a collar of tissue at the entrance to your vagina. Just as all bodies are different, hymens are also different. Looking at a hymen does not tell you anything about virginity.