What is virginity?

Virginity means that someone has not yet had sexual intercourse (penetration). There are many other kinds of sex besides sexual intercourse, such as oral sex.

Both boys (men) and girls (women) can be virgins.

You cannot see or feel that someone is a virgin. Not even a doctor or any virginity test can do this.

The hymen is not proof of virginity:

• The hymen is not a membrane that closes off the vagina. The hymen, therefore, does not tear entirely when a woman has sexual intercourse for the first time.
• Most women do not bleed when they have sexual intercourse for the first time. If the hymen is very tight, a woman may bleed a bit. Operations to construct or restore the hymen very often do not make any difference.
• A woman cannot lose her virginity by using tampons during the menstrual period. If you want to feel more secure, you can use sanitary towels instead.