Virgin envy : the cultural insignificance of the hymen

Contributors to Virgin Envy examine everything from the medieval romance to Bollywood films to True Blood and Twilight, to destabilize the many "e;certainties"e; about sexual purity. In particular, the hymen is called into question. How is virginity determined for those without a hymen? How do we account for the way in which the "e;geography of the hymen"e; has changed over the course of history? And what about male and queer virginity? Issues of commodification, postcoloniality, and religious diversity are also addressed.