Have you ever heard one of your friends give some advice on sex and said to yourself “no that can’t be true.” That one guy that thinks certain sex positions can stop pregnancies. That one girl that believes that Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) can only be contracted by men. While some of you may laugh at these and say “nobody believes this,” trust me, some do. To help out our fellow students, here are the top five sex myths.
1.You can’t get pregnant in water.
Think that you can use water as a force field for not getting pregnant, well think again. No, a jacuzzi, pool, the ocean, or any other bodies of water will not stop pregnancies from occurring. According to americanpregnancy.org, water will not have an affect on whether or not you could get pregnant because the water outside the body does not interfere with the sexual act occurring. So cancel all your plans of using that hot tub in place of a condom.
2.Big Feet = Big Penis
This may be the grandaddy of sex myths. I think for some of us, we’ve heard this myth our entire life. Well, I have good news for everyone, It’s simply not true. According to Department of Urology at St. Mary’s Hospital,” the supposed association of penile length and shoe size has no scientific basis.” You’re welcome people with size seven shoes and smaller.
- Sometimes it doesn’t take two.
Wearing two condoms does not decrease your chances even more of getting someone pregnant. I know, stop the presses. In all seriousness, this is a pretty common myth in American culture. Rapper Asher Roth even once said on his most famous song “I Love College,” “when it comes to condoms put two on, then tomorrow night, find a new jawn.” Well first off, it might not be a good idea to get your contraception advice from rappers. Secondly, he’s absolutely wrong. Using two condoms at once or double bagging as it sometimes called can increase the chances of pregnancy because of “weakening the material and increasing the chance that the condoms might break,” according to kidshealth.org. - I can’t get pregnant on my period. Right?
This is not all the way true. According to parents.com,” while a woman is unlikely to get pregnant during her period, it is absolutely possible.” This is because the male sperm can live in the uterus for up to three days. Even though the chances of getting pregnant on your period are smaller than usual, there’s still a chance. You have been warned.
- Plan B works all the time,every time…I hope.
Well, sorry to burst some bubbles out there, but this not entirely true either. The chances of Plan B working get smaller every day after you have sex. This means the chances of the pill working on Sunday after you had sex on Saturday are greater than if you waited until Monday. According to ec.princeton.edu, the chances of the pill working after 72 hours dramatically go down. You also have about an 89 percent of Plan B working in general, according to Plan B’s website, so be careful with relying solely on the pill to save you.
Sex can be a great thing, but if done on the whim of hearsay, it can be very dangerous. Don’t just do or believe something because your friends say it would be a great idea. Research everything you can before having intercourse of any kind, but especially if it’s unprotected. Georgia State has a health clinic that will try to answer any sexual questions you may have, so feel free to visit them if you are feeling confused. Happy Valentines to everyone and be safe out there.
Sex tips for staying responsible:
- No means No.
- Get yourself checked before having unprotected sex.
- If it’s feels like a bad idea. Stop.
- Talk to your partner about what they feel comfortable with.
- No means no. (seriously)
