The Myth of the Hymen: A Social And Medical Mystery

hymen female anatomy 3

by Fei Cai

Hymen. Maidenhead. Cherry.

For something that people do not seem to know much about, it definitely has a lot of names.

I am not sure when I first heard about the hymen. Like many growing up, I thought it would hurt to tear it, and that it was some kind of physical sign that a woman had lost her virginity. I was convinced that the first time I had sex, there would be bleeding and pain, which of course, added to the already huge amount of anxiety I had about having sex for the first time.Continue Reading

Why You Should Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About Sex

Marion Foyelle drawings 1

by Fei Cai

Most of us have been there as teenagers.

Wearing a backless johnny, sitting on the way-too-high exam table, and trying not to make too much noise on that weird crinkly tissue paper they always put down for “sanitary” reasons. Your doctor or nurse practitioner stares you in the face and asks the dreaded question: “So… are you sexually active?”Continue Reading