Aa
SEPTATE HYMEN??
Please note: I'm only 14 and not close with my mom at all!!
So, I've known for a while that I have a septate hymen. I've never brought it up with my mom, although I wish that I could. It's so hard to use tampons but I still do because I refuse to use pads, and of course I plan to have sex in the future.
I really want to get the surgery, but I don't know how to do it. Since I'm only 14, I need to have my mom with me in order to go to the doctor's but I don't know how to tell her? I was thinking of making up an excuse and saying I got a tampon stuck or something but I think it'd make more sense to just tell her.
PLEASE help me! How do I bring it up? I want to do it casually!
Also, I've done a lot of research on it so I know quite a bit but can someone let me know just what happens during the surgery and if it costs anything?
Thank you!
So, I've known for a while that I have a septate hymen. I've never brought it up with my mom, although I wish that I could. It's so hard to use tampons but I still do because I refuse to use pads, and of course I plan to have sex in the future.
I really want to get the surgery, but I don't know how to do it. Since I'm only 14, I need to have my mom with me in order to go to the doctor's but I don't know how to tell her? I was thinking of making up an excuse and saying I got a tampon stuck or something but I think it'd make more sense to just tell her.
PLEASE help me! How do I bring it up? I want to do it casually!
Also, I've done a lot of research on it so I know quite a bit but can someone let me know just what happens during the surgery and if it costs anything?
Thank you!
Daluba, interesting stuff. Original poster, well, first off, you could just tell your mom that you have an irregular hymen and you'd like to ask an ob-gyn about it. You can tell her you'd rather not go into detail and you'd like to talk to the doctor alone. But if you just can't stand that idea, you could tell your mom that you think you have a yeast infection, ask her to make you an appointment with the doctor or an ob-gyn, and then when you get there, ask her to wait outside. She cannot force herself into the room when you talk to the doctor, you do have privacy rights. Of course, if you do that,, she will fret that you are having sex, so you might as well tell her (after you leave the doctor's) that you are not having sex. But this way if you really don't think you can talk to your mom about this issue, you can still see a doctor.
I'm sympathetic because my mom was so Victorian that I didn't even want to tell her when I began having periods. Finally did tell her (months after they began) and she said in this high-pitched, embarrassed voice, "Now you are a woman," which was just awful. I think one of my sisters never did tell Mom when her periods began, and by the time she was 18 Mom just had to figure that they had done.
Anyway, good luck. The surgery doesn't sound complex.
I'm sympathetic because my mom was so Victorian that I didn't even want to tell her when I began having periods. Finally did tell her (months after they began) and she said in this high-pitched, embarrassed voice, "Now you are a woman," which was just awful. I think one of my sisters never did tell Mom when her periods began, and by the time she was 18 Mom just had to figure that they had done.
Anyway, good luck. The surgery doesn't sound complex.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Congenital Anomalies of the Hymen
The hymen is an area of tissue that represents the opening to the vagina. The hymenal tissue is a ring-like form of tissue which has a hole within the center, present at birth.
Imperforate Hymen
When no hymenal opening is present, a membrane covers the area of the hymen and this is called an imperforate hymen. An imperforate hymen needs to be surgically corrected. An imperforate hymen is usually diagnosed either in the newborn baby or at the time of menarche (the first period). In the newborn period there may be a bulge of the hymenal membrane due to a blockage of the drainage of normal mucus from the baby’s vagina. The baby has mucus production due to the mother’s hormones which are still circulating within the baby’s bloodstream. The mother’s estrogen stimulates the production of mucus within the baby’s vagina. Due to the blockage, the mucus cannot drain and thus a white bulge may appear at the location of the normal opening to the vagina. Alternatively, an imperforate hymen may not be identified until some point in childhood or at the time of a normal first menstrual period. A young woman with an imperforate hymen which has not been surgically corrected will not have a normal menstrual period as there is a blockage and the blood cannot come out of the vagina. This blockage may be associated with abdominal pain, back pain, or difficulty with urination.
An imperforate hymen can be surgically corrected in the newborn period with a resection of the excess hymeneal tissue. Alternatively an imperforate can be corrected at the time of diagnosis in childhood or during the time of the first menstrual period. The procedure is normally a “day surgery” type of procedure and it is my practice to remove the excess hymeneal tissue and place sutures to avoid scar tissue formation and a reblockage of the hymeneal orifice. Once the imperforate hymen has been surgically removed there should be no long term issues. The vagina will function normally, the woman will be able to have sexual intercourse and her history of having an imperforate hymen does not interfere with her ability to have future children.
Microperforate Hymen
A microperforate hymen is essentially an imperforate hymen with a very small hole within it. The hole may be large enough for mucus and/or blood to come through the hymeneal opening, but instead of having a regular menstrual period lasting 4-7 days, the woman may have a period which lasts longer due to the fact that the blood cannot come out at a normal rate. A microperforate hymen may resolve spontaneously and the opening may get larger as a child becomes older, alternatively if a young woman who has a microperforate hymen attempts to insert a tampon she may have pain or the inability to insert the tampon. If she attempts to have sexual intercourse, she may have pain and the excess hymeneal tissue may tear. A surgical approach can be undertaken to resect the excess hymeneal tissue.
Septate Hymen
A septate hymen refers to a band of extra hymeneal tissue running vertically in the area of the normal hymen. A hymeneal septum may interfere with a woman’s ability in insert a tampon or she may find that she can insert the tampon but once it expands with blood, she cannot remove the tampon. A hymeneal septum does not have to be surgically removed and if a woman attempts to have sexual intercourse with a septate hymen it will usually tear. This may be associated with some discomfort, pain, or bleeding. A simple surgical approach can be undertaken to remove the septate hymen, thus creating a normal hymeneal orifice.
The hymen is an area of tissue that represents the opening to the vagina. The hymenal tissue is a ring-like form of tissue which has a hole within the center, present at birth.
Imperforate Hymen
When no hymenal opening is present, a membrane covers the area of the hymen and this is called an imperforate hymen. An imperforate hymen needs to be surgically corrected. An imperforate hymen is usually diagnosed either in the newborn baby or at the time of menarche (the first period). In the newborn period there may be a bulge of the hymenal membrane due to a blockage of the drainage of normal mucus from the baby’s vagina. The baby has mucus production due to the mother’s hormones which are still circulating within the baby’s bloodstream. The mother’s estrogen stimulates the production of mucus within the baby’s vagina. Due to the blockage, the mucus cannot drain and thus a white bulge may appear at the location of the normal opening to the vagina. Alternatively, an imperforate hymen may not be identified until some point in childhood or at the time of a normal first menstrual period. A young woman with an imperforate hymen which has not been surgically corrected will not have a normal menstrual period as there is a blockage and the blood cannot come out of the vagina. This blockage may be associated with abdominal pain, back pain, or difficulty with urination.
An imperforate hymen can be surgically corrected in the newborn period with a resection of the excess hymeneal tissue. Alternatively an imperforate can be corrected at the time of diagnosis in childhood or during the time of the first menstrual period. The procedure is normally a “day surgery” type of procedure and it is my practice to remove the excess hymeneal tissue and place sutures to avoid scar tissue formation and a reblockage of the hymeneal orifice. Once the imperforate hymen has been surgically removed there should be no long term issues. The vagina will function normally, the woman will be able to have sexual intercourse and her history of having an imperforate hymen does not interfere with her ability to have future children.
Microperforate Hymen
A microperforate hymen is essentially an imperforate hymen with a very small hole within it. The hole may be large enough for mucus and/or blood to come through the hymeneal opening, but instead of having a regular menstrual period lasting 4-7 days, the woman may have a period which lasts longer due to the fact that the blood cannot come out at a normal rate. A microperforate hymen may resolve spontaneously and the opening may get larger as a child becomes older, alternatively if a young woman who has a microperforate hymen attempts to insert a tampon she may have pain or the inability to insert the tampon. If she attempts to have sexual intercourse, she may have pain and the excess hymeneal tissue may tear. A surgical approach can be undertaken to resect the excess hymeneal tissue.
Septate Hymen
A septate hymen refers to a band of extra hymeneal tissue running vertically in the area of the normal hymen. A hymeneal septum may interfere with a woman’s ability in insert a tampon or she may find that she can insert the tampon but once it expands with blood, she cannot remove the tampon. A hymeneal septum does not have to be surgically removed and if a woman attempts to have sexual intercourse with a septate hymen it will usually tear. This may be associated with some discomfort, pain, or bleeding. A simple surgical approach can be undertaken to remove the septate hymen, thus creating a normal hymeneal orifice.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Sexual Health Community
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
Discharge often isn't normal, and could mean an infection or an STD.
STDs aren't transmitted through clothing. Fabric is a germ barrier.
Normal vaginal discharge varies in color, smell, texture and amount.
