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Related Experiment Videos

The adolescent hymen.

Karin Edgardh1, Kari Ormstad

  • 1Center for STD and HIV (Olafiaklinikken), Grensen 5-7, 0150 Oslo, Norway. karin.edgardh@ulleval.no

The Journal of Reproductive Medicine
|October 17, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Normal hymenal appearance in adolescent girls is not well documented, hindering accurate assessment for sexual abuse. More research is needed on female genital development during puberty.

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Area of Science:

  • Gynecology
  • Forensic Medicine
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Genital examinations are not routine for prepubertal and pubertal girls.
  • Evaluation for suspected sexual abuse is extensive, yet normal anatomical variations are understudied.
  • Knowledge of external genitalia in adolescent girls is less developed than in prepubertal children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on the hymen, focusing on puberty and adolescence.
  • To highlight the lack of research on normal hymenal variations in adolescent girls.
  • To emphasize the need for longitudinal studies on female genital development.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of current knowledge on the hymen.
  • Analysis of existing studies on hymenal configuration in nonabused adolescent girls.
  • Identification of research gaps in female genital anatomy during puberty.

Main Results:

  • Limited data exists on normal hymenal variations, including rim width and configurations like attenuation, clefts, and notches.
  • No longitudinal studies have investigated girls older than age 3.
  • Tanner staging lacks detailed genital development information.
  • Few studies document hymenal appearance in nonabused adolescents, with or without sexual activity or tampon use.

Conclusions:

  • The normal appearance of the hymen in adolescents is not well-documented.
  • Further longitudinal research is crucial for understanding female genital development and normal hymenal anatomy during puberty and adolescence.

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