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Busting Those Silly Myths About Birth Control

Everyone has heard at least one ridiculous idea about birth control, from “you can’t get pregnant if you have sex during a full moon” to “you can’t get pregnant if you have sex standing up,” there is so much misinformation out there about birth control that it is scary. Of course, birth control is serious business – an unwanted pregnancy can cause serious upheaval and is a difficult situation for any woman to deal with. It is important that you are able to separate fact from fiction when it comes to birth control so you can make the right decision for your health and your future.

The first round of silly birth control myths that need to be eradicated are those myths that have to do things you can use to “kill” sperm after you have had sex. You prevent a pregnancy by using a douche after sex – and yes, that extends to all of those silly rumors about douching with Coke or Mountain Dew after having sex (actually, these sodas will kill sperm, but that will also do some serious harm to you internally). You cannot kill sperm by spraying on a vaginal deodorant or by inserting a yeast infection treatment suppository after having sex. Aspirin has no bearing on whether or not you get pregnant at all. The only product that effectively kills sperm is a spermicidal cream, and even these creams and gels are not adequate to prevent pregnancy on their own. Do not rely upon these methods.

These birth control myths have to do with killing the sperm once ejaculation has occurred, but another big birth control myth has to do with preventing ejaculation from occurring within the vagina. Many, many people mistakenly believe that if a man “pulls out” before he ejaculates a pregnancy cannot occur. Big mistake! Sperm can be present in any seminal fluid, and some seminal fluid is almost always released by the penis well before ejaculation. The sperm that fertilizes the egg can be released during any stage of sexual intercourse. Likewise, you can’t undo what has been done after ejaculation by standing up, going to the bathroom, or getting in a hot shower.

Have you heard that you can’t get pregnant if you are a virgin or if it is the first time you are having sex with a certain partner? Neither of these ideas holds any weight at all. If you are having sex, you can get pregnant, end of story. The sperm and the egg are not aware how many times you have had sex and with whom.

If you have played Russian roulette with unprotected sex in the past and not gotten pregnant, don’t fall into the trap of believing you cannot get pregnant. The only person who can diagnose your infertility is your doctor. If you have played it fast and loose in the past and gotten away with it, chances are it was luck and not biology. Likewise, don’t let a partner tell you that they can’t get anyone pregnant because none of their past partners have become pregnant. Again, past fertility is not an indication of future fertility!

Last but not least, don’t believe the myths that birth control pill are dangerous or will make you fat, or that condoms don’t “too small” for your partner. Birth control pills are safe for the vast majority of women and are unlikely to cause significant weight gain, if they cause it at all. Condoms exist to fit any kind of man. If you write off the need to take precautionary birth control measures for these silly reasons, you may end up facing a pregnancy you are not prepared to handle.