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Function of the human hymen
A J Hobday1, L Haury, P K Dayton
1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0208, USA. ahobday@ucsd.edu
Medical Hypotheses
|August 1, 1997
Summary
The human hymen may have evolved to protect infants from vaginal infections. This protection offered a survival advantage, leading to natural selection favoring its persistence into juvenile years.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Human anatomy
- Reproductive health
Background:
- Existing hypotheses on the human hymen's function are limited and lack strong evidence.
- The hymen's role in human development and survival remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel hypothesis for the evolutionary function of the human hymen.
- To explain the persistence of the hymen into juvenile human life.
Main Methods:
- Review of current hypotheses regarding the human hymen's function.
- Development of a new evolutionary hypothesis based on infant development and protection.
Main Results:
- The study proposes that the juvenile human hymen's presence is linked to 'premature' birth.
- Infant helplessness following premature birth may have created a selective advantage for vaginal protection.
Conclusions:
- The human hymen's persistence into juvenile years could be an evolutionary adaptation for protecting against external vaginal infections.
- This protective function may have been favored by natural selection due to enhanced infant survival rates.
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