The configuration of prepubertal hymen in Turkish population and its clinical aspect.

The importance of the hymenal configuration lies in the fact that it is accepted as an important sign of the virginity in many countries and also it needs a clearcut definition for the forensic evaluation of child abuse and rape. To improve understanding of configuration of the normal hymen we studied 100 prepubertal hymens. In addition to the most commonly seen types we found the fimbriated hymen at a high rate especially in adolescents. There was another configuration the appearance of which differed on each half of the vaginal orifice; one half had a labium while the other had fimbriae. The tagged type hymen was also encountered.