I am a young girl aged 17 and very much in love with my boyfriend of 22. We have promised to marry each other as soon as I finish school at the end of this year. We have never had sexual intercourse as we both believe that sex is for marriage only. My problem is that my boyfriend keeps saying that he is worried about breaking my virginity and hurting me on our wedding night. I have not dared to tell him that I have been using tampons during my menstruation for three years now. Someone told me that tampons break the hymen in a woman's vagina and therefore I may no longer be a virgin. I am so scared he will reject me. What shall I do?

talking points

• Is a virgin...
  • someone (a girl or a boy) who has never had sex?
  • a girl whose hymen is not broken?
• Is it possible for a girl to break her hymen by using tampons?
• Are there other things that might break the hymen without the girl knowing?
• Is it true that sex can hurt a girl the first time?
• Would you advise Virginia to...
  • talk with her boyfriend about her worries?
  • stop using tampons?
  • have a virginity test before she gets married?