Sex Definitions / Question
Published: April 24, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I heard the term "cherry" used on many occasions and I was wondering what it meant. The most commonly used expression I've heard is "whatever pops your cherry!" I thought that this was some derogatory statement with no sexual meaning until I used the statement myself in front of an adult, in which I quickly received grief.
Signed: Define 'Pop The Cherry'
Dear Define 'Pop The Cherry',
TeenHealthFX knows that slang terms change quickly and are often difficult to keep up with. But the slang term "cherry" has been around for some time and refers to a woman's virginity. Therefore, the saying "whatever pops your cherry" refers to first-time sexual intercourse, when a woman loses her virginity.
This phrase makes reference to the common myth that a female virgin will have an intact hymen (a thin membrane that surrounds and partially blocks the vaginal opening) that will be torn during first-time intercourse, usually resulting in a small amount of bleeding. However, this is not always the case since the hymen can stretch and tear for a number of non-sexual reasons (i.e., tampon use). It is also possible that the hymen will never break.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year.
