Refers to the effect of estrogen (the female sex hormone) on the hymen, resulting in a thickened, redundant, pale pink appearance. This estrogen effect can result from exposure to higher levels of estrogen from the mother (i.e., in newborns), hormonal changes at the onset of puberty, or the exogenous introduction of estrogen (e.g., estrogen cream).
The contents of this glossary is funded in part through a sub-award from RTI as the lead partner for the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence through a Cooperative Agreement from the National Institute of Justice (2011-DN-BX-K564 and 2016-MU-BK-K110), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies and any services or tools provided).