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Solving the age-old mystery: Can you actually regain your virginity?

Here is a question a lot of women, for a lot of reasons, have asked themselves: Can you regain your virginity? Let's settle the debate once and for all
can you regain your virginity
You're a woman, not a bottle of oil who sells better if its extra virgin. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Sonakshi Kohli Published: 24 Apr 2020, 14:04 pm IST
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Childhood lessons: ‘A’ for ‘apple’, ‘B’ for ‘ball’, ‘C’ for ‘cat’, ‘V’ for ‘van’, and so on.

Adulthood interpretation: ‘A’ for ‘apple’, ‘B’ for ‘bada apple’, ‘C’ for ‘chhota apple’, ‘D’ for ‘do-do apple’, ‘E’ for ‘extra virgin’, ‘V’ for ‘virgin’.

If you avoid focussing on the different versions of ‘apple’, you’d probably notice the ‘V’ word that every misinformed, uneducated, narrow-minded, petty person is perhaps obsessed with is virginity.

From oils to, unfortunately, even women–the world simply cannot get over their so-called preference for all things ‘virgin’. Let’s explore the mystery around being and regaining virginity.

What is this ‘V’ word exactly?
In terms of an adjective for objects, the Oxford Dictionary defines ‘virgin’ as something ‘in its original, pure, or natural condition and not changed, touched or made less good’.

When it comes to women, its definition is altered contextually to the one ‘with no sexual experience’. But, it isn’t just a simple definition. Sadly, it equates a woman with no sexual experience as being ‘pure’ and ‘good’.

The ‘V’ word has some far-reaching moral implications and serves as more of a character certificate for a woman than just a simple adjective.

To understand this further, you’ve got to know about the ‘H’ word too
We’re talking about the hymen. The word has been coined after the Greek God of marriage “Hymenaios” and in medical terms, it refers to a thin mucous membrane that is present in order to partially close the opening of the vagina.

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can you regain your virginity
Virginity has countless mythical perceptions. It is time we bust them and choose reality. Image Courtesy: Shutterstock

The link between hymen and virginity
In conservative cultures, an unruptured hymen is seen as a sign of virginity. It is believed that when a woman has sexual intercourse for the very first time, her hymen breaks due to penetration, making her bleed and proving her virginity prior to the experience.

An ideal time for a woman to finally lose her virginity is considered to be her wedding night and that, my friends, is also the only honourable way to lose something as ‘precious’ as her virginity.

Now, the honour attached to this sick phenomenon is what makes so many women live in fear of judgment or simply opt for hymen reconstruction procedures.

So, ruptured hymen=no virginity?
According to a study published in the journal Reproductive Health, a broken or ruptured hymen is NOT a sign of a woman’s virginity because firstly, the hymen doesn’t ‘break’, it just stretches open.

And secondly, this delicate membrane can get stretched due to a variety of reasons other than having sexual intercourse.

From strenuous physical activity such as horseback riding, bicycle riding, gymnastics, and dancing to masturbation, tampon insertion and, a cross-vaginal ultrasound—a variety of factors can be responsible for your hymen breakage.

Let’s come to the point now: Can you regain your virginity?
Now, a woman might wonder about regaining her virginity for a variety of reasons but the answer to them all is a biological one.

Whether it is the pressure of seeming like a virgin to your partner or simply the fear of regaining your virginity after a long dry spell of no sex that’s prompting you to wonder about this, here’s unveiling the mystery:

The answer is no
Confused? Well, to clarify, you’ve got to know that you may not be able to regain your virginity naturally because according to several studies, the hymen is highly unlikely to ‘regrow’ or regain its original shape, form, and elasticity naturally.

can you regain your virginity
While sex is fun, when experienced after a long time can seem painful. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Then why does sexual intercourse after a long gap still hurt or make you bleed?
It can either be because of your pelvic muscles not being habitual to having sex or because of a condition is known as vaginal atrophy (VA), says a 2017-study published in the journal Maturitas.

Commonly referred to as vaginal dryness, irritation, or painful intercourse, this condition is characterized by thinning, drying, and inflammation of the vaginal walls due to your body having less estrogen and can result in painful sex.

Now, this can feel like you’ve regained your virginity, but can actually mean that it is time to see your gynaecologist.

Also, Read: Here’s how coconut oil helped my case of vaginal dryness

But you can medically restore your hymen
Let’s talk about hymenoplasty, which is a surgical process of restoring the hymen. If hymen intactness is your definition of virginity, then the only possible way to gain it back is through this procedure.

FYI, it does have the risk of prolonged bleeding, infection, and the side-effects of anesthesia associated with it. So think twice before opting for it.

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About the Author

Twenty kilos down and struggling to maintain the weight loss by preaching healthy eating, while eating unhealthy every now and then. ...Read More

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