Virgin

A virgin is most commonly seen as a person who has not engaged in sexual intercourse. Typically, it refers strictly to a person who has not yet engaged in vaginal intercourse. In broader terms, it sometimes refers to one who has not engaged in sexual activities. The status of "virginity" is sometimes respected and valued in certain societies, especially in relation to views of many religions on sexual conduct before marriage. The term maiden is also sometimes used to mean a female virgin, although that can also refer to an unmarried or merely young woman. It has also (generally historically) been used to refer to a male virgin.

Physiology

Among human females, the hymen is a membrane, part of the vulva, which partially occludes the entrance to the vagina and which is often physically torn when the woman first engages in vaginal sexual intercourse. The presence of an intact membrane is therefore often seen as physical evidence of virginity in the broader technical sense. The absence of one, however, is not necessarily an indication of participation in sexual intercourse, since in some women the hymen is either absent from birth, or sufficiently vestigial not to be affected by sexual penetration. Also, the hymen can be broken before a woman engages in sexual intercourse. For example, the hymen can be broken during strenuous exercise or during the insertion of a tampon. Conversely, in rare cases a hymen is imperforate, and as menstrual discharge cannot escape, surgical intervention is required to protect the health of the woman.

Related Topics:
Human - Hymen - Membrane - Vulva - Vagina - Vaginal sexual intercourse - Vestigial

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Traditionally, women were not regarded as virgins after a sexual assault, but some people disavow this notion. There are even women who take this "spiritual" conception of virginity to its maximum, considering "born again" Christians to be virgins, regardless of their past sexual conduct.

Related Topics:
Sexual assault - Born again

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There is no obvious physical indicator of virginity in human males, though there may be social indicators, including possible sexual anxiety and a lack of sexual experience or prowess. The word "chastity" (or "celibacy," when referring to the lifestyle choice) is sometimes used for men in place of virginity, although these terms can also be applied to women.

Related Topics:
Chastity - Celibacy

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