Why not give importance to virginity

Virginity has always meant more to people than just a physiological condition. According to its presence or absence can judge the moral character of women, to make a reputation and even decide the fate - for example, sentenced to death for a Woman, if she lost her virginity before marriage. Heroine understood as harmless feature of the female body turned into a weapon of control and manipulation.

Why not give importance to virginity

What is the hymen is and why it is important to

To understand how far the public presentation of the virginity of its biological basis, have a little dive into the anatomy and figure out what is the hymen, she's hymen.

In fact it is a thin fold mucosa, which is located along the bottom edge of the opening of the vagina.

Hymen, like the clitoris - a very little-studied part of the female body. Some researchers believe that it protects internal organs from infections girls. With age when menstruation begins and the vagina is formed their own germs, the need for it disappears.

Other scientists do not find practical application Hymen: we know that this body was formed in the course of evolution, but now he has no reproductive or some other function. It's just a bonus that we inherited from nature, as well as, for example, the nipples in males.

The hymen is formed and looks all different. In some women it looks like a thin film, and completely covers the entrance to the vagina. In others it may be a film with one or more holes or strip across mucosal tissue of the vagina. Others do not have a hymen can - and this is also absolutely normal.

Why not give importance to virginity

Another feature of the hymen - elasticity. It stretches, so during intercourse hymen break (this process is called defloration) may or may not occur. If the membrane is not too flexible, it is damaged during penetration - so the first or first few sex acts sometimes deliver girls discomfort. However, discomfort can be avoided if the partner will use more lubrication, and the girl will be able to relax. When the elastic hymen enough or there are a lot of holes, there is every chance that the first sex at all cost without pain and blood. Damage the hymen can not only during sexual intercourse, but also due to injury or medical intervention.

After the "deprivation of virginity" hymen or anywhere does not disappear - it can last a lifetime, if the fabric is sufficiently strong and flexible. Although, as a rule, after the birth is almost no hymen.

So, most importantly, what leads us to the biological facts: the hymen may look different, not only as a complete film. It is not necessarily damaged during intercourse, if sufficiently elastic. Or the hymen may not be at all - because of the physiological characteristics, injury or incompetent gynecologist visits. That is not to judge whether the girl in the sex life, the presence or absence of blood, pain during the first contact, and in appearance very hymen. But this is just what is constantly doing in our society!

As the mucous piece turned into a myth for control over women

Why not give importance to virginity

In ancient times, the innocence was seen as a virtue, it was a symbol of independence and physical self. Virginity - one of the epithets of the name of the goddess Athena, this is also an important characteristic of other bright mythical characters: Hestia, Artemis. They deliberately refused to relationships with men, that does not prevent them from doing other more important things (as we know, his amorous adventures of Zeus brought a lot of problems).

The integrity of the Roman goddess of the hearth Vesta was considered a symbol of integrity: only without the distraction of having an affair, she could firmly keep the sacred fire, and other people's secrets. Priestesses of Vesta also took a vow of chastity, and they were very respected and important members of society.

Most religious movements virginity too closely connected with virtue. But here the integrity was not the way to preserve the independence of strong women, a sex outside marriage in the religious culture is considered taboo. In the sacred texts of innocence often actually gives it possessor almost miraculous properties - remember the myth of immaculate conception.

In the late Middle Ages virginity significantly lost its aura of the sacred, but was still considered a great value. Only now it is rather a "quality mark" bride than a virtue, or a symbol of independence.

Why not give importance to virginity

The need to enter into marriage with virgins is quite practical rationale: the man was important to know that it transmits his social position, title, wealth their children by blood. DNA tests then, unfortunately, it was not, so the only guarantee that your child was the fact that his mother had only one sexual partner. While it is clear that this guarantee is highly questionable - in the first place, nothing prevents a girl get pregnant from another after the wedding night; Secondly, as you and I have already explained, the hymen does not guarantee that a woman has not had sex.

Anyway, virginity has always been an important commercial quality girls. It had to be saved, to be able to get married, and the loss of virginity before marriage supposed to hide in every way.

The myth of innocence as a virtue greatly influenced and continues to influence not only the reputation of women, but also literally on her life and health. In many cultures, if she could not prove her virginity blood stains on the sheets after the wedding night, to kill her. Although such cases are now becoming increasingly rare, are regions where the practice operates. Virginity testing is preserved at the South African Bantu. As a rule, it makes an older woman, to confirm that the girl is suitable for marriage.

Some girls can not prove rape because their hymen remained intact. It is not known how many women died or failed to punish the rapist just because our society knows very little about what it looks like hymen.

As the myth of virginity affects the life of modern man

It seems that today, as in most civilized countries do not kill a woman for having sex outside of marriage, young people begin sexual life of 13-15 years, and scientists are gradually dealt with the way how our body, it's time to stop confer innocence sacred meaning. But the myth that is virginity, still generates a lot of problems and the reasons for manipulation.

Thus, the integrity continues to be a commodity, and now she has traded in the open. On the Internet a lot of ads of the night with a virgin for a round sum, both from the girls themselves, as well as from candidates who are ready to pay for the idea.

Why not give importance to virginity

A few days ago news sites wrote about two schoolgirls from the suburbs, who wanted to sell her virginity. To help them in this cause them to 18-year-old friend, who praised the "product" in 1, 2 million. The young man was arrested while trying to get the money, now he passes the case on the organization of prostitution of minors. This and many similar stories - is also a product of the myth of virginity.

Another result of the general stereotype of innocence: the popularity of Hymenoplasty - operation to restore the hymen. Clinic offers roll in, only on request Yandex "Hymenoplasty" produces 25 million results. While it is clear that the meaning of such a procedure is not more than the surgery to change the shape of male nipples.

Worse stories about schoolgirls who tried to sell her virginity, but an incident that occurred in 2017. Saratov Ministry of Health ordered to oblige doctors to inform law enforcement authorities of the region of the pregnant or deprived of virginity girls under 16 years old. It seems to be a good intention in good time to learn about cases of sexual assault of adolescents considered even more important than medical confidentiality. In fact, it could not spoil the life of a girl - just because her hymen is different from the others, or was violated as a result of injury or medical intervention. Any insufficient competent gynecologist could force the child to justify themselves before the police and talk about their love life. After publicity in the press and requests for children's ombudsman Anna Kuznetsova Saratov department to cancel the order. But we can not be sure that such an initiative - another form of control over the girls - will not reappear.

A conflict of stereotypes: a prostitute VS bluestocking

The problem of increased attention to the first of virginity and sex, not only in the fact that because of this girl, who became sexually active during adolescence or just before marriage, forced to hide it and run the risk of being criticized.

society often puts forward conflicting demands on women: those who started having sex too soon gain a reputation as a frivolous and dissolute, but the girl kept her virginity after 20-22 years, too, receive ridicule and insulting nickname "blue stocking". Because of this, the longer a woman delays a sexual life, the more complex it appears a.

A similar situation faced by the heroine of two contemporary series. Thus, in the reboot of "Charmed" as the eldest of the sisters, Macy recognized two other Charmed, she was a virgin, it gives them a slight shock. A guy Macy surprised her virginity almost more than the fact that she has magical powers. Since the show, feel free to all affecting the current problems - consent to sex, gender and racial identity - demonstrates that today a lesbian to be normal, and a virgin at the age - no.

The main heroine of the series "Jane the Virgin" kept innocence because of the oath, which gave his religious grandmother as a child. Their conversation had left such a deep mark on the soul of Jane that she had not been able to decide to say goodbye to virginity. Even after she gave birth to a child (because of the Immaculate Conception, which led ECO made it by mistake), has found the love of his life and is going to marry him, Jane difficult to decide on sex. It seems that having lost virginity, it ceases to be itself. Only after a conversation with his mother, who convinces the girl that first sex is strongly overestimated, and will not make it out of the other person, Jane manages to cope with the psychological crisis. It turns out that society is made from a simple physiological characteristics - hymen - a gift at the same time, you want to keep to a certain time, and a curse, from which it is necessary to get rid of, yet you are not knocked 25 years. There is still a handy tool for manipulation and control over women.

What, then take the first sex

Another problem with the definition of virginity - it is associated with only one form of intimacy: sex with penetration. Girl "technically" be considered innocent until such time has not yet occurred deflowering. This creates an adolescent belief that taboo, and therefore dangerous, only one kind of intimacy. Everything else: petting, oral sex, does not deprive the innocent girl, so it is harmless. As a result, few of them know, for example that during oral sex, too, need to protect themselves and the girls can use a special female condom for that.

Due to the limited notion of virginity, it is not clear what is generally considered the "first time": the first kiss on the lips, touching the genitals of another person, oral sex, petting or just sex with penetration? And if she can, which is practiced with a partner only manual'nye affection, is still considered a virgin?

Perhaps it would be logical, if every person will decide that virginity and at what point he is deprived of it for him. Teenagers need to explain that all types of sex are important and require the same responsibility and moral readiness - even if they can not lead to pregnancy. And that certainly can not allow subjective and narrow-minded public perceptions about female physiology and innocence influenced the fate of specific girls.