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By Dr. Courtenay Poucher, MD, FACOG, certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the National Society of Cosmetic Physicians

Thank you so much for asking this brave question. I’m glad you felt comfortable posting – because there are women worldwide who share your concerns.

First: It is possible for the hymen to stretch or develop a small tear during activities like tampon use, medical examinations with a speculum, exercise or other non-sexual activities. A small amount of bleeding after a cervical screening exam can occur and does not necessarily mean there has been significant injury.

To put your mind at ease – it’s very likely that your hymen is still intact. In most cases, small hymenal tears heal on their own without medication or treatment.

That being said, It is also important to know that the hymen varies greatly from person to person. Some women naturally have very thin or flexible hymenal tissue, while others may have very little visible hymen at all. Because of this variation, the presence or absence of hymenal tissue does not reliably indicate sexual activity.

A procedure called hymenoplasty can be performed to reconstruct hymenal tissue, if considered necessary by the patient. I have performed this procedure for patients with cultural and/or religious beliefs that value an intact hymen hundreds of times and I understand how private and confidential this treatment must be.

If you’d like confirmation that your hymen is intact – or you want to learn more about hymenoplasty – I encourage you to schedule a consultation with a board-certified labiaplasty surgeon.

Do you have a question about non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation, labiaplasty, vaginoplasty, or other intimate surgeries you’d like answered by Los Angeles labiaplasty specialist Dr. Courtenay Poucher? Use our contact form to connect with us. We will answer as many questions via our blog as time allows.