Function of the human hymen.
The few existing hypotheses for the function of the human hymen are weak. These are briefly reviewed, and a new hypothesis is proposed. We suggest that the appearance of the juvenile human hymen is based on 'premature' birth, following which infant helplessness and a subsequent advantage for vaginal protection from external sources of infection allowed natural selection to increase its persistence well into juvenile life.
Hobday
A J
AJ
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0208, USA. ahobday@ucsd.edu
Haury
L
L
Dayton
P K
PK
D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000196:embryology; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D006924:Hymen / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014621:Vagina / Q000502:physiology