Busting Myths: What You Don't Know About Losing Your Virginity

In 2023, India became the most populous country in the world, and yet most of the population barely knows where babies come from. Sex education in India is seriously lacking. Even though sex saturates every aspect of popular culture, it is still considered a taboo topic that not even schools want to talk about, leaving it up to poorly informed parents to educate their children. How does a woman understand her own body, then? Considering a woman's virginity is one of the most heavily guarded secrets in India, who does she talk to if she has questions? For this, we've created a guide detailing common misconceptions about virginity.

Is Your Hymen Related to Your Virginity?

The sanctity of a woman's virginity becomes a mark of her character and its loss symbolizes her shame. What we don't understand is that virginity is a very complex concept created by society that is subjective in nature. It is often thought that you lose your virginity during vaginal penetration when the hymen breaks. But did you know that women can also be born without a hymen? So, do they remain a virgin their entire life? Moreover, the hymen can tear during rigorous physical exercise, cycling or stretching as well. Does this mean that these women are not virgins even if they've never had sexual intercourse?

Can I Restore My Virginity?

If you associate losing your virginity with the hymen tearing, then yes. There is a medical procedure called hymenoplasty, which can reconstruct or repair the hymen, leaving behind no traces that this surgery was done. There is no other procedure that can restore your hymen, so be careful when you come across home remedies or articles with promises to help you "naturally" grow back your virginity.

How Do I Know If I Lost My Virginity?

There is no obvious physical sign that tells you you're not a virgin anymore. Sex and virginity can mean different things to different people. There is no strict medical definition of what virginity is, nor are there any tests that confirm whether you've lost your virginity or not. It is more important for you to keep yourself informed about sexual wellness and hygiene practices instead so that if the time comes for you to 'lose your virginity' you do so in a safe, pleasurable way.

Video credits: Nimisha, Team SheThePeople