Q: I will be getting married soon. How much pain does one get after the first sexual intercourse? How much blood flows after the hymenal membrane breaks? Is it a significant amount or just a little?

A:It is a myth that one 'should' bleed during the first intercourse. Hymen is a thin membrane that covers the vagina. It may or may not be present at birth. In some women, the hymen only has some tiny openings through which menstrual blood can escape, but in others, the hymen is just a rim of tissue. Sometimes it just folds naturally along the walls of the vagina. Not every virgin has a kind of hymen that could appear to "pop" with her first act of intercourse. It may get broken without one's knowledge while doing certain activities such as some sports or athletics. It may also get broken if one masturbates or uses tampons. If it is unbroken, a little bleeding may take place at the first intercourse, however it cannot be regarded as a test of one's virginity. Bleeding may not happen in a virgin girl if the hymen is absent since birth or it is ruptured without her knowledge during sports etc.