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Hi Aunt Vadge,
Last night I had sex and it was pretty rough (not in a bad way), and afterwards we found I was bleeding. I wasn’t expecting my period, though it’s about my normal time and can be irregular. I put in a tampon and went to sleep.
When I went to change my tampon this morning, I noticed a string-like piece of skin hanging out next to the tampon string. I freaked out, and I’ve been freaking out all day. After looking things up, I’ve concluded it’s a hymenal tag.
Can I still have sex? Can I still use tampons? Am I stuck with this hideous piece of skin forever? Please help.
Yours sincerely,
Dangling
USA, age 22
Dear Dangling,
First off, you’ve actually diagnosed yourself well. This does sound like a hymenal remnant or tag, a little frill of leftover hymen tissue that can protrude a bit. Rough sex has probably just tugged one loose and made it more obvious, along with the bit of bleeding. It’s harmless – these little tags are a classic ‘what on earth IS this?’ worry, and our practitioners can reassure you it’s almost always about nothing sinister. To answer your questions in order:
- Yes, you can still have sex. No reason not to.
- Yes, you can still use tampons. No reason not to.
- No, you are not stuck with it forever. A doctor can simply snip it off – it’s a quick, minor job that heals fast and isn’t very painful. Sometimes they settle or come away on their own, but if it bothers you, getting it snipped means you never have to think about it again.
You mentioned you’ve already made an appointment, which is exactly right – it’s worth having someone confirm it really is a hymenal tag and not something else, since a few other harmless things can look similar. Waiting is annoying when you just want it sorted, but it’s a small wait for proper peace of mind.
On the skin-removal oil you asked about: I’d give that a miss. Those products are made for skin tags on ordinary skin, which is a different tissue entirely – on delicate vaginal mucous membrane an oil like that is far more likely to irritate than help, and it won’t shift a hymenal remnant anyway. If you’ve read about something specific and it made sense to you, send it my way and I’m happy to look into it, but this one’s not the answer.
So: keep your appointment, ask them to take a look and snip it if that’s what you both decide, and in the meantime carry on as normal. You’ll be absolutely fine.
Write back anytime.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
