Can we talk about the phrase “popping the cherry?”

Sure we can! Just a warning—mature language ahead.

This is a crass/rude way of describing when a penis penetrates a vagina for the first time (perhaps an outdated way to describe a loss of virginity). The idea of something “popping” refers to the hymen, or the skin tissue that surrounds the vaginal opening to varying degrees in females. When something is first inserted into the vagina (whether it be a tampon, finger or penis) the hymen may tear and bleed. Hence the term “popping the cherry.”

However, this is not always the case. Here are some of the many changes that a hymen can go through:

1. The hymen can tear on its own before anything penetrates the vagina (riding a bike or running can cause enough of a disruption to tear the hymen).

2. The hymen might be so minimal that there is no “tearing” needed.

3. The hymen can be well-developed and can tear the first few times something penetrates the vagina.

4. The hymen might cover the entire vaginal opening and need a doctor to open it (this is rare).

5. It might hurt when your hymen tears or you might not notice at all.

6. Once torn, a hymen does not regrow.

From all of this information it should be clear that a torn hymen in no way indicates a “loss of virginity.” What does? We’ll discuss later...