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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Two Methods for Establishing Primary Human Endometrial Stromal Cells from Hysterectomy Specimens

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Published on: May 23, 2014

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.

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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.