Childen's Hospital Boston  300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 355-6000
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My Child Has:
Microperforate Hymen
Programs that treat this condition
 Gynecology Program    Center for Congenital Anomalies of the Reproductive Tract  
The hymen is an area of tissue that represents the opening to the vagina. The hymenal tissue is a ring-like form of tissue which has a hole within the center, present at birth.

A microperforate hymen is essentially an imperforate hymen with a very small hole within it. The hole may be large enough for mucus and/or blood to come through the hymeneal opening, but instead of having a regular menstrual period lasting four to seven days, the woman may have a period which lasts longer due to the fact that the blood cannot come out at a normal rate.

A microperforate hymen may resolve spontaneously and the opening may get larger as a child becomes older; alternatively if a young woman who has a microperforate hymen attempts to insert a tampon she may have pain or the inability to insert the tampon. If she attempts to have sexual intercourse, she may have pain and the excess hymeneal tissue may tear. A surgical approach can be undertaken to resect the excess hymeneal tissue.

For more information go to the Center for Young Women's Health website.

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