Scarleteen

So... I'm 17 and I only just figured out what a vagina is supposed to look like. I never really looked down there, just assumed it was all normal because I get my period. Just looked at some photos and compared with a mirror... and I literally couldn't find my vagina. It was like it was completely closed up down there, it looked like those diagrams of imperforate hymens. I spent a whole few minutes trying to find an opening and eventually found a tiny tiny hole over to the side, only visible if I moved into a certain position. It's literally like a pinprick. I've always felt grossed out by the idea of tampons and masturbating so I've never tried inserting anything, but now I've had a look I realise it would be completely impossible. Let alone penetrative sex. Is this in any way normal?! Do I need to see a doctor or something?

As a side note, a girl once told me that you can't feel any sexual desire unless your hymen has been broken... is that true? Would explain a lot, I guess, although I can't find any evidence of it being true online.

Hi Alice37, welcome to the boards!

I haven't seen what you're seeing, but I think there is a good chance that there is nothing wrong here. Diagrams can exaggerate features to make them very obvious/clear, so it isn't a problem if your body doesn't look exactly like that. And if you look around on the boards, you'll see that it isn't always easy to find the vaginal opening or insert anything inside, especially if you are not already feeling aroused. These can be addressed on your own with time.

Since you've been getting regular periods, that would indicate that you don't have an imperforate hymen. If you have a microperforate hymen (i.e. a hymen with a small hole), that would be something you could address by seeing a doctor. It is treatable by a simple procedure, and it won't prevent you from having penetrative sex afterwards. Visiting a gynaecologist is a good idea in general — it is an essential part of regular health checkups, and having someone examine you might be reassuring. But before that, why not try looking again? This article functions as a kind of guided tour to your anatomy. Would you follow the descriptions and tell us what you think?

As for your last question: No, it isn't true, on two levels. Firstly, people can and do experience sexual desire before they have insertive sex of any kind (though you don't have to worry if you haven't experienced it). Secondly, the hymen isn't something that needs to break for someone to have sex. It is a thin piece of tissue that surrounds or slightly covers the vaginal opening, not a brittle seal. It may wear down over time, but it does not break, and is not an indication of whether someone has had sex. (If you would like, you can read more about the hymen here.)