This article is from WeChat official account:Guokr (ID: Guokr42)< span class = "text-remarks">, author: Edan, snow bamboo, editor: travel knowledge initiatives, scientific review: gynecologists Flying off the rain. This article was first published on December 13, 2019. The title picture comes from: Visual China
After the operation, the doctor will generally tell the patient to recover and rest more. And Dr. Li Fengyong will add another sentence, “You deleted my contact information, so that people will not see it.”
It’s not because of the nature of the surgery that there are any problems—as the deputy chief doctor of the only Grade A plastic surgery hospital in the country, Dr. Li has worked for many years and has excellent professional skills; but because of the site of the surgery.
Dr. Li Fengyong performed hymen repair surgery.
The operation is not complicated. Local anesthesia is usually completed in about half an hour. But every time it is mentioned, this operation will always cause huge controversy. Because there are too many misunderstandings and myths about this film.
The “broken” hymen is normal
Many people mistakenly believe that the hymen is a complete, airtight membrane, which only breaks during the first penetrating sex-however, in fact, the hymen is inherently “broken.”
Strictly speaking, the hymen is not a membrane. Hymen(hymen) The scientific name vagina flap is a circle of connective tissue located at the vaginal opening with a hole in the middle. When women reach puberty, menstrual blood will be excreted from the body through the pores of the hymen. Therefore, some organizations that promote gender equality have suggested that the misleading name of hymen should be changed to “vaginal corona” (vaginal corona).
The hymen of the baby girl is relatively thick, and the vagina of the baby girl is relatively narrow, so the early hymen has a certain role in protecting the cervix and uterus. With age, the hymen will gradually become thinner. For adult women, the hymen does not have any known biological functionsstrong>, its shape varies from person to person(ring, half moon, sieve, etc.), its texture is similar to tongue The band is the tissue between the tongue and the bottom of the mouth when the tongue is opened and raised.
Hymen and various shapes丨www.menstrual-cycle.info
Hymen with holes, or in other words, “broken” hymen, are normal. Some girls have no gaps in the hymen, and no blood is seen after menstruation. The hymen is like a wall blocking menstrual blood in the body. The menstrual blood accumulates in the vagina, then expands to the uterus, and even flows into the abdominal cavity. Patients experience periodic lower abdominal pain. This condition is medically called hymen atresia, and doctors need to cut the hymen through surgery. This kind of operation was done on the sixth floor of a former obstetrician and gynecologist. “The blood that shed after the incision is accumulated in it for a long time, and the smell can overturn the entire operating room.”
Therefore, hymen repair surgery, naturally, is not to sew the damaged hymen back into a sealed membrane. During the operation, the doctor will first use small scissors to cut the hymen at the rupture into a neat wound edge, and then suture it with nylon thread or absorbable suture, so that the hymen is only left through the hole in the little finger. The six-story building vividly described the operation process, “The operation is very simple, and may be faster than men’s circumcision. Just put it (residual Hymen) Lift it up, just pull it up, just like pulling out a small tent, nothing more.” If the hymen ruptures more severely, the doctor will take the mucous membrane in the vagina and create another hymen.
The patient can leave the hospital and go home within an hour after the operation. The patient’s hymen generally recovers in one to two months.
Part of the surgical methods reported in the domestic literature | Provided by Liu Taotao, a doctor from Beijing Hospital
According to Dr. Liu Taotao from Beijing Hospital, hymen repair surgery is usually performed by plastic surgeons, but in different hospitals, obstetricians and gynecologists and even urologists can also do it. This depends on the functional planning of the respective hospital.
Five years ago, on the recommendation of a friend, Yueyue (pseudonym) received hymen repair surgery at a plastic surgery hospital in his hometown of Fujian. According to her description, the procedure was very easy, and it was done in half an hour. “It doesn’t hurt or feels anything. You can go home after it is done. After taking anti-inflammatory drugs for a day or two, it will be over, and it will have no effect on future life.” .
Yueyue has several friends who have undergone hymen repair surgery. In her opinion, this seems to be a “natural” thing. In the first communication with Yueyue, she didn’t understand the value of this surgery. Said, “Do it if you want.” The only thing she struggled with before the operation was “fear of pain and fear of meeting acquaintances.”
A guarantee for the future?
Since the plastic surgery on the private parts of women in 2004, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences hasDr. Fengyong Li of the surgical hospital (Badachu Plastic Surgery Hospital) has come into contact with various women who come to consult about hymen repair surgery. The first sentence is generally: “Doctor, will my medical records be found?”
Dr. Li will truthfully report that as a public hospital, all real-name cases must be retained. “Some patients turned around and left without asking for medical consultation. They went directly outside to find a clinic that did not require real-name registration and performed the operation.”
Most women come alone. Occasionally some come with a girlfriend, and some will register with a girlfriend’s ID card. There are also those who come with their mothers. The status of these girls is different: some girls are very resistant and don’t say a word during the whole process. It is all the mothers communicating with the doctor; some girls have exchanged deposits and betrothal gifts, and even the wedding ceremony is held. But was divorced. The girl herself was very desperate, and her mother helped her make up her mind and comforted her that it was okay and could be “made up” by surgery. Someone came with an ex-boyfriend, and the ex-boyfriend paid, which was regarded as a “compensation” for the woman, and after the operation, it was counted as two payments. And the incumbent paid his girlfriend for surgery.
Dr. Li was impressed by a fifty-three-year-old woman who said that her second husband had never “experienced” a virgin, and asked that she could perform hymen repair surgery and let him “experience” it once. . Dr. Li asked her, do you think this is really necessary? “She herself was very embarrassed, but she insisted that it is not easy to find a wife. People just ask for this and pay the money.” Dr. Li still agreed to perform the operation, “As a result, when I entered the operating room, all the nurses looked at me with blank eyes. The patient has needs, and I have the technology to meet her needs, what can I do?”
Plastic surgeons have their own position on hymen repair surgery. Dr. Fengyong Li told Guo Ke, “I never recommend surgery to patients. Nor do other plastic surgery doctors in our hospital, including double eyelids and nose surgery, which everyone accepts. But if the patient Especially value this matter, she really has the burden and requirements in this regard, I will help her.”
Through contact with patients, Dr. Li discovered that some men do not care whether the woman’s hymen is intact. But before getting married, it is difficult for the woman to judge whether the man cares or not. Some men lie that they don’t care; others don’t care when they are in agreement, and when the relationship is not so strong, the problem arises.
A couple in their thirties came to Dr. Li for consultation. The wife had a boyfriend before, had a relationship, and confessed to her husband before getting married. The husband said that it was nothing and nothing.After five or six years of marriage, friction has continued. After the two parties talked once, the husband said frankly that he actually really minded. The two stayed in the consulting room for more than half an hour, without talking to each other, only talking to Dr. Li, “The girl said that the doctor said if I want an operation, you should make up for it.”
Leaving aside the profession of a doctor, from a female point of view, Li Fengyong said bluntly: “We all think this man is sick? They have been married for five or six years, and you don’t know that you did it early. Why did you go?” As a professional, Dr. Li can only persuade his wife that this is really not a question of surgery. “Does the husband think she is a virgin after the operation? The couple should talk about it.” If the knot is untied, surgery may not be necessary.
The couple did not come back for surgery. Whether this marriage can go on is unknown.
Yueyue, who underwent the operation, said frankly, “After all, there are many boys with virginity complex. In order to avoid unnecessary troubles in the future, I will do it. After the operation, I will feel at ease.” After the operation, Yueyue met. The husbands now have two children.
“This matter is very unfair to women. Women are at a very disadvantaged position in marriage, but doctors cannot change the status quo,” Dr. Li said. “Some girls should not bear the burden because of the damaged hymen. For the crime, why should I give this handle to others? A hymen repair operation is equivalent to a kind of self-protection.”
There is no way to judge “virgin”
The reason why the “crime” is “should not be borne” is that many people regard the integrity of the hymen as a way to judge whether a woman is a virgin. They believe that the integrity of the hymen means that the woman is a virgin, and the damage of the hymen means that the woman has had sex. relationship.
This is all wrong.
The hymen is incomplete, and there may never have been sex. Doctors can only judge whether the hymen is ruptured by looking at the stump of the hymen, but there is no way to determine whether the rupture is caused by sex. The hymen may break during strenuous physical exercise, physical exercise, sitting and straddling injuries, and masturbation. Even the most experienced gynecologist cannot tell from the state of the hymen whether a girl is a “virgin.” Dr. Li Fengyong said that even many doctors now don’t know where the hymen is or what it looks like, “not to mention, you can judge a virgin just by being a doctor? You can’t judge”.
At the same time, even if penetrative sex has occurred, the hymen may not be damaged. Some people have relatively thin and elastic hymen, while others have relatively thick and firm hymen. According to relevant papers, an 18-year-old girl in Luoyang, Henan Province was raped four times in one night. After forensic examination, her hymen was still intact. A study by the University of California on underage girls found that 52% of girls who had had sex did not find any identifiable changes in the hymen tissue. Another American study on rape victims between the ages of 14 and 19 found that the chance of a torn hymen is less than a quarter.
Therefore, the statement that “the first night will definitely turn red” is also wrong.
Seeing red at first night is a chance event. At present, there is no uniform and clear conclusion in medicine. Some clinical statistics show that 80% to 90% of women see red, and some surveys show that only 40% to 50% of women see red.
Redness is related to many factors, such as the elasticity of the hymen and the size of the pore size. At the same time, Dr. Li Fengyong emphasized that it is not a unilateral factor for girls to fall into the red. The size of boys is very important. “First look at the size of your boyfriend. It’s not enough for you to crack to the basement at one time. The bigger the crack, the more the crack, the deeper the depth, and the higher the probability of bleeding. The skin on our hands is the same. Your crack is deep enough, and there are blood vessels passing by the place where you crack, and the blood vessels are cracked, then you will have the “wow” described in some literature works. It feels like the blood in the beach. If this is not the case, you may not get a drop of blood.”
Repair psychological wounds
I always hear voices blaming women for “not observing women’s morals,” but there are few voices discussing men. Sexual behavior occurs between two people, but only women need to bear the blame unilaterally.
Even women themselves tend to think that they are wrong.
In the opinion of Dr. Zhang Shouling of Beijing Huamei Medical Aesthetic Hospital, hymen repair surgery repairs not only physical wounds, but also psychological ones. “Patients always cry first when they come to me,” said Dr. Zhang Shouling. “There is a sad story behind everyone, and everyone is very desperate.”
Dr. Zhang found that women who came for consultation generally had particularly gloomy expectations about the future, marriage, and relationships, and were deeply caught up in it.Cannot dial by yourself. They will feel that they are already like this, and they are not qualified to pursue a better love life and marriage life. They will keep asking themselves-why do I have such a bad vision? Why did I trust his words? Why didn’t I be more careful? Why did I let myself be destroyed in the hands of such a person for the first time?
Dr. Zhang Shouling communicates with the girl who came for consultation丨weibo
For some women, the damaged hymen is not only a physical “mutilation”, but also a psychological barrier. Dr. Zhang would suggest that the girls ask for help from a counselor: “The broken hymen is really a wound. When the patient comes, you just open the wound to you.” Although women who have lost the integrity of the hymen are not considered physiologically. What “patients”.
Doctor Zhang said that as soon as a girl entered the clinic, she started crying loudly before she said what kind of surgery she was going to do. After crying for a long time, she gradually said things out. The girl was a left-behind child in a remote mountainous area. She was raped by a teacher when she was a teenager in school. She has never dared to speak, at home, or even in college. She didn’t dare to like others and felt she was not worthy. This incident kept pressing on the girl’s heart. After graduating from university, she couldn’t stand it anymore, so she went to the hospital for surgery. Until now, the girl’s family did not know that she had been bullied.
“What a pure girl you are, you can’t deny your whole life just because of this incident,” Doctor Zhang said to the girl. She assured the girl that after the operation, she would be a “complete person”.
Prosperous development
When she entered the plastic surgery industry in 2001, Dr. Zhang Shouling performed all plastic surgery “from head to toe”. Due to the private plastic surgery involving women, patients generally tend to choose female doctors to do it. Therefore, Dr. Zhang Shouling is doing more and more such operations. She thought that with the development of society, hymen repair surgery would disappear, but she did not expect that surgery was performed in recent yearsThe number of people has increased year after year. Among 100 private plastic surgeries for women, four to five are hymen repair surgeries.
Actually, not only hymen repair surgery, the entire female private plastic surgery market is in a stage of rapid growth. In 2018, women’s private plastic surgery is the fastest growing medical beauty project.
Data comes from “New Oxygen 2018 White Paper on Medical Beauty Industry”丨New Oxygen
Doctor Li Fengyong estimates that among her operations, five to six out of 100 are hymen repair operations. In recent years, the number of hymen repair operations she has performed has remained stable and has not increased significantly.
This is related to the nature of the Badachu Plastic Surgery Hospital public hospital. Unlike the overwhelming advertising of private hospitals, Badachu Plastic Surgery Hospital is much lower-key. “After doing enough homework and searching various experts on the Internet, we can find our hospital in a corner.”
Perhaps it is precisely because of the particularity of the hospital that the statistics of patients who come to the eight major plastic surgery hospitals for hymen repair operations are somewhat unexpected. A statistical survey of doctoral dissertations of Peking Union Medical College School of Medicine surveyed the occupations of patients undergoing hymen repair surgery in this hospital (see picture below).
Occupational distribution of hymen repair patients in Badachu Plastic Surgery Hospital (Badachu Plastic Surgery Hospital is a clinical teaching hospital of Peking Union Medical College) | Peking Union Medical College, 2018
Reason of hymen rupture in patients undergoing hymen repair surgery丨Beijing Union Medical College, 2018
From January 1, 2011 to July 31, 2014, the author of the paper recruited 131 patients with hymen rupture. Among patients who had sex after surgery, the first-time life satisfaction rate was 92.8%(65 cases/69 cases), see red rate It was 59.4%(41 cases/69 cases).
Not only in China, according to public reports, hymen repair surgery still exists in developed countries such as the United States, Britain, France, and Germany. In France, the cost of hymen repair surgery is as high as 5,000 euros; in the United Kingdom, the cost of surgery in hospitals covered by medical insurance is at least 1,000 pounds, and private clinics charge around 4,000 pounds.
In these countries, hymen repair surgery has also caused great controversy. Some doctors even suggested that hymen repair surgery should be prohibited.
Prohibition of hymen repair surgery?
Doctors who oppose hymen repair surgery(mostly obstetricians and gynecologists) believe that, first, surgery is unnecessary. For adult women, the hymen has no physiological effect, and the rupture of the hymen will not cause medical consequences. At the same time, surgery is risky, even if it’s like repairing the hymenWhat a simple operation.
The six-story building who had worked as an obstetrician and gynecologist also opposed hymen repair surgery. He said that the top three or public hospitals will measure the indications for surgery. To do a certain operation, there needs to be sufficient evidence to prove that the operation should be performed, and this evidence is generally recognized by the industry. Under certain circumstances, surgery must be performed to cure the disease. This surgery is reasonable. It’s not that the hospital will do surgery if it can make money, even if it is to make money for the hospital, there are problems.
Dr. Zhang in operation丨weibo
“I can’t say that this patient cried very poorly, saying, “If you don’t repair me, I won’t be married.” So I will help her, no,” said the sixth floor. “Although this sounds very cold-blooded and very Numbness, but the measurement criteria of surgery are not driven by emotions, but driven by objective things such as rational principles and research.”
Second, some views believe that repairing the hymen is helping patients deceive others. Doctors should not conspire with patients to try to deceive the patient’s future spouse and spouse’s family members, which violates the professional ethics of doctors. In addition, it cannot be denied that there are currently some cases of repeated hymen repair surgery in order to obtain financial or other benefits.
Third, some feminist scholars believe that hymen repair surgery will intensify discrimination against women. There is no way to detect whether a man is a virgin, or surgery to help a man “return” to a virgin state. But women do. This creates inequality between the sexes-imprisoning non-binding requirements on men on women. To require women to be virgins is to objectify women and treat women as commodities-the ones that have not been used or “contaminated” are valuable; women who have had sexual experience are broken and incomplete The value of the products in the wedding market is greatly reduced.
A campaign in India calling for the abolition of “virginity inspection”丨Fayaz Kabli/Reuters
Behind the women undergoing hymen repair surgery is a mountain called “patriarchy”, and each completed hymen repair surgery adds a stone to this mountain. In the eyes of opponents, every medical institution that provides hymen examination and hymen repair surgery has virtually stood on the side of the patriarchal authority, and every time a doctor performs hymen repair surgery, it strengthens it intentionally or unintentionally. Patriarchal values. As long as the hymen repair operation remains for one day, the virgin complex will always be there, the virgin will always be praised, and the control of the female body and the oppression of the female group will never disappear.
Let women be happy?
If there is opposition, there is support. In view of the above three points, doctors who support hymen repair surgery have given different opinions.
First of all, there are currently many other surgeries—such as rhinoplasty and bone removal, which are more risky than hymen repair surgeries—professionals are still doing. These operations, apart from bringing about visual changes, did not bring any medical benefits to patients. Proponents believe that since surgery such as bone reduction can exist as a conventional plastic surgery, hymen repair surgery can also be used.
Secondly, accuse doctors of cheating with patients to help women conceal their previous sexual experience, thus making men a “Green Hat Party”-This premise itself is wrong. As analyzed above, a complete hymen does not mean that the woman has not had sex, and an incomplete hymen does not mean that the woman has had sex. To equate the integrity of the hymen with chastity is to confuse the physiological state of the integrity of the hymen with the moral concept of promoting chastity and cleanliness.
Finally, regarding the issue of hymen repair surgery and women’s rights, supporters of surgery believe that adult women with full capacity have the right to decide whether to accept surgery. anti-To and call for the prohibition of hymen repair surgery in order to protect women’s rights. However, to respect women’s right to choose independently, instead of using some kind of “ideology” to require or even force women to make choices, isn’t it also the meaning of safeguarding women’s rights?
It cannot be denied that the current society is unfair to women, and women always carry a lot of extra burdens-men can regard having multiple sexual partners as bragging capital, as long as the prodigal son returns, it is worthy of praise; Women who have sex before marriage will be scolded as “sluts,” and they will suffer tremendous pressure from society, family, and their spouse. The obsession with the hymen has also caused many women to worry about using tampons or when they need to undergo colposcopy, adding unnecessary ideological burden to women.
Many women can’t fight against the society and family’s expectations of “virgins”, but they can at least control their bodies. Hymen repair surgery can be understood as a women’s adaptation strategy in a patriarchal society—that not only meets society’s expectations of “chaste”, but also does not harm women’s desire for premarital sexual relations. For some female individuals, hymen repair surgery has helped them reap love and marriage, giving them a certain status and voice in the family and society.
Even the doctor felt, “They have gained happiness, and we feel from the heart that we helped them. This operation is worthwhile.” Doctors must prioritize the life, health and well-being of patients. Doctors perform surgery not to support or oppose certain values, but to help patients and protect their interests. Doctors who support hymen repair surgery believe that they are not qualified to refuse repair surgery and demand that a woman pay a price to counter the view accepted by most people in society.
Who cares?
Although there is still controversy over the necessity and rationality of hymen repair surgery, on another issue, the opponents and supporters have surprisingly consistent positions. That is-To get rid of the myth about hymen, it is by no means a unilateral thing for women.
It is far from enough to start with women and call on women to wake up and not care about this film.
A man once sent a private message to the sixth floor, asking the sixth floor to help determine if his girlfriend is a virgin. A photo of the girlfriend’s private parts is attached to the private message. The sixth floor replied to him, “Did you send the photo with the consent of the woman?”
Some women want to bleach and reshape the hymen, otherwise they worry that they will be replaced. Six floors think likeThe fruit man cares about these, and it will be a matter of time before it is replaced. “You will not fit his imagination one day. What a man may want is always a matte, firm, and filmy one. If you don’t have me, then change to one. If you don’t have anymore, I will Change to a matte one. Girls don’t put themselves in a position that can be replaced at any time.”
Dr. Zhang Shouling has come into contact with such women in the clinic. A patient in his early twenties has a good appearance and a gentle temperament. “It belongs to the type that ordinary people will have a desire for protection when they meet, and a scumbag will want to bully when they meet.” She happened to meet a scumbag. Attending a gathering of friends and being filled with wine, it was gone the first time. The girl said she didn’t want to, but she didn’t think she had been raped. She didn’t fall into the red that time, but things still caused great psychological pressure on her. After that, the girl made a boyfriend who was fifteen years older than her. The boyfriend did not touch her, but offered to check her hymen.
Dr. Zhang Shouling advised the girl to carefully weigh whether the relationship is necessary to continue, because the two people are obviously in an unequal position. Dr. Zhang recalled that he was not merciful at the time, “No matter how rich he is, he will never bring you happiness, but will always bring you harm, because he doesn’t look down on you from the bottom of his heart. Without respect for you, how can he give you good happiness?”
Doctor Zhang Shouling talked to the girl for a long time and advised her to learn to protect herself and stop giving the scumbag a chance to hurt herself. No matter what Doctor Zhang said, the girl just kept silent and shed tears blindly.
The girl insisted on having the operation in the end.
Not long ago, Dr. Fengyong Li received a phone call from a man. The question raised by the man was summed up after checking a lot of information and doing enough homework. She guessed that the man should be suspicious of his girlfriend or wife, and suspected that the woman had undergone hymen repair surgery.
In fact, if the operation is successful, even a professional plastic surgeon can’t tell whether the hymen has been repaired. The patient was rechecked one month after the operation, and Dr. Li Fengyong sometimes needed to compare the hymen photos with the damaged hymen to find out where the original crack was.
The man’s speculation and suspicion made Dr. Li Fengyong a little angry, “The vast majority of women who have undergone this surgery have to do it as a last resort. Women spend money and suffer crimes and suffer physical Pain has endured mental pain again, for what? Are you happy?”
Most of the operations are done to heal the wound, so that the blood stops flowing. Only hymen repair surgery is to create new wounds and shed new blood. The hymen is just aThe thin layer of connective tissue should not and cannot be used to comment on a person’s value. But today, there are still many women who need to lie on the operating table in order to escape the fate of being tried and despised. When the doctor flew the needle, he mended not only a few lacerations, but also a broken heart.
References
[1] Guo Lingjun, Guo Yinshui, He Jun. On-site investigation and inspection of unbroken hymen in repeated rapes[J]. Journal of Henan University of Science and Technology (Medical Edition) (4): 312-313.
[2] Wei Shuyi. (2018). Basic and clinical research on the rejuvenation of female breast and vulva (Doctoral dissertation, Peking Union Medical College).
[3] Cook, RJ, & Dickens, BM (2009). Hymen reconstruction: ethical and legal issues. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 107(3), 266- 269.
[4] Mishori, R., Ferdowsian, H., Naimer, K., Volpellier, M., & McHale, T. (2019). The little tissue that couldn’t ‘t–dispelling myths about the Hymen’s role in determining sexual history and assault. Reproductive health, 16(1), 74
[5] Women having ‘virginity repair’ operations on the NHS to ‘be as pure as possible again’. https://metro.co.uk/2018/05/10/women-virginity-repair-operations-nhs-pure-possible-7536680/
[6] The Dilemma of’Virginity’ Restoration. https://www.vice.com/en_asia/article/evvxwe/the-dangerous-business-of-hymen- reconstruction-surgeries
[7] The Dangerous Business of Hymen Reconstruction Surgeries
[8] A Test With No Answer. https://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/a29488743/virginity-testing-america-doctors/
[9] Adams, JA, Girardin, B., & Faugno, D. (2001). Adolescent Sexual Assault: Documentation of Acute Injuries Using Photo-colposcopy. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 14(4), 175–180. doi: 10.1016/S1083-3188(01)00126-7
This article is from WeChat official account:Guokr (ID: Guokr42)< span class = "text-remarks">, author: Edan, snow bamboo, editor: travel knowledge initiatives, scientific review: gynecologists Flying off the rain