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World Sexual Health Day 2026 is celebrated today on September 4, 2026, and the official theme “Every Body”.
News18
Soha Ali Khan got candid about sex, sexuality and pleasure, especially for women, during her recent podcast that was released on World Sexual Health Day. Observed on September 4 every year, this year’s official theme is ‘Every Body’. The former actor-turned-entrepreneur and podcast host had a lively discussion with sexual wellness experts Dr Seema Anand and Leeza Mangaldas on “desire, pleasure, consent, intimacy, communication, age, relationships and all the conditioning that shapes the way we think about sex” on her podcast All About Her.
In her post on Instagram, Soha Ali Khan wrote, “What does good sex actually mean? Why do so many women struggle to understand their own pleasure? And how do you tell your partner what you want? Today, on World Sexual Health Day, we’re asking the questions many of us have Googled, wondered about or simply never felt comfortable asking out loud… Because sex education has traditionally focused on reproduction. The rest? We’ve often been left to figure it out ourselves.”
During their conversation, Leeza Mangaldas brought up the topic of the hymen, a much-debated topic and a part of a body that continues to govern a woman’s character. She said, “There is an overemphasis on this small amount of tissue, the hymen, as if it is proof of virginity. It is completely unscientific.”
Adding to this, Dr Seema Anand said, “It has the consistency of a wet face tissue: it is that useless. Your mother, your father, your uncle and aunty, everybody’s honour is sitting over there.”
The hymen is a thin, elastic piece of tissue located around the opening of the vagina. Its shape, size and thickness vary naturally from person to person. It can stretch or change over time due to various activities. Importantly, its appearance cannot determine whether someone has had sex or their virginity.
With a lot of taboo still present about sex and pleasure, along with the halabaloo around the hymen, we spoke to Dr Deepika Alva, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospitals, HRBR Layout, Bengaluru, and Dr Sunita Tandulwadkar, President, ISAR and Head, IVF & Endoscopy, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, to understand some of the prevalent myths that still exist about the hymen:
An anatomical misconception is that every woman is born with the exact same Hymen structure
There is no single shape, size, or structure that the hymen has universally. Anatomically speaking, there is huge variation among individuals, even when it comes to its formation at birth. Although most have the shape of either a crescent moon or a ring with a hole at the middle, some women are actually born without hymens—a phenomenon called hymenal agenesis and is entirely natural. Some others may have a “septate” hymen, which means the existence of a piece of tissue that makes two openings, or a “microperforate” hymen which only has a small hole.
Most people assume the hymen stays intact until ‘broken’
The hymen is not static tissue that remains unchanged until there is any sort of physical interaction with it. This is dynamic, hormonally active tissue. With the onset of puberty, increased amounts of hormones in the body, particularly estrogen, trigger changes to occur to the tissue. The tissue becomes soft, elastic, and thin. As a woman ages, the estrogen in the body causes the tissue to dissolve, diminish, or wear away completely. The changes that take place in the tissue occur as a natural consequence of ageing and hormones, independent of any sexual activity or physical contact.
Torn hymen leaves a visible scar that proves sexual activity
The hymen is composed of mucous membranes that have an abundant blood supply; hence, the healing capabilities of this type of tissue are very impressive and can be compared to the mucosa of the mouth or the cheek. In case the hymen gets a small cut, tear, or even stretches, the area will heal extremely fast and smoothly, usually in a few days. Upon healing, the torn tissue becomes smooth without any scar tissue forming at the site of damage. Since the tearing of the hymen disappears quickly, the physician will not be able to see that there was any previous physical contact.
Hymen is a membrane that seals the vagina
The hymen is a rim of tissue around the vaginal opening. Normally the hymen has an opening that lets menstrual blood and vaginal secretions flow out. Rarely a person may be born with an imperforate hymen meaning there is no opening. In that case menstrual blood can build up after puberty and a small surgical procedure might be needed to create an opening.
If the hymen is torn or stretched it means the woman has had intercourse
Hymenal tissue is different for each person. The hymen can naturally have edges or look different as time goes on. It can also stretch when a person does activity or uses objects like tampons. Because of this looking at the hymen does not reliably show whether a person has had intercourse.
Problem with the hymen can make a woman infertile.
The hymen does not take part in ovulation, egg quality, fertilisation or implantation. Therefore the appearance or lack of a hymen does not decide fertility. Some rare congenital hymenal abnormalities can block flow. When these are correctly diagnosed and treated they usually do not stop a person from becoming pregnant
Hymen disappears after the sexual intercourse.
There is no moment when the hymen “breaks.” Hymenal tissue can stretch, thin or change in ways over time. Some people keep a lot of tissue even after sexual activity. Bleeding is also not a sign of first intercourse; many people do not bleed at all.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Doctors want Indians to stop believing myths that the hymen proves virginity, that it’s a static tissue that only breaks during intercourse, that a torn hymen leaves a permanent scar, that it seals the vagina, or that its condition indicates infertility. These are anatomical misconceptions and unscientific beliefs.
Ask News18About the Author
Abigail Banerji is a Senior Sub Editor with News18’s English desk. She brings 6 years of experience across both print and digital newsrooms, spanning editorial planning, reportage, copy editing, conte…Read More
September 04, 2026, 18:44 IST
