In this video, we will introduce you imperforate hymen causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. If you are interested, we have also introduced other types of the hymen in another video.
Most females are born with a hymen. A hymen is a thin membrane that stretches across the vagina. It generally has a ring-like appearance with a small opening.
There’s no real medical purpose for the hymen, although some think it may have evolved to help protect the vagina from infection.
What is the imperforate hymen?
Most girls have a small crescent- or donut-shaped opening in their hymen. This opening allows for access to the vagina. Approximately 1 in 1000 girls is born with what’s called an imperforate hymen. This is a hymen in which no opening to the vagina is present.
Imperforate hymen is the most common type of blockage of the vagina.
Imperforate hymen is something a girl is born with. No one knows why this happens. There is nothing that the mother did to cause it.
There are also many different types of hymen shapes. These include crescentic hymen, annular hymen, dentate hymen, fimbriate hymen, lunar-shape hymen, septate hymen, bifenestrate hymen, cribriform hymen, imperforate hymen and microperforated hymen. #differenttypesofhymen #typesofhymen #hymentypes hymen types
What are the symptoms of imperforate hymen?
There may be no symptoms until a girl reaches puberty and is unable to have periods because the blood can’t flow out of the body. When the blood backs up into the vagina and abdomen, it can cause pain and discomfort.
Symptoms may include:
- Lack of the first menstrual cycle which also known as amenorrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Back pain
- Difficulty urinating
- Painful bowel movements.
How to diagnose imperforate hymen?
An imperforate hymen can be diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or puberty. Sometimes, the hymen doesn’t cause a problem until a girl’s teenage years when she has her first period. During an examination, your daughter’s gynecologist can confirm that there is no opening to her hymen.
So, what is the treatment of it?
An imperforate hymen can be surgically removed in infancy. If discovered later in life, the imperforate hymen can be removed at the time of diagnosis. A minor surgical procedure will be needed to remove the extra tissue covering your daughter’s hymen, creating a normal-sized vaginal opening so menstrual blood can flow out.
