Don’t Believe These Contraceptive Myths

Without ongoing education, our knowledge of birth control is frozen in time. In The State of Birth Control, Lifehacker talks about the history of contraception in the US and explains what everyone needs to know about their options, the latest medical advances, and legal access. Follow the full series here .

Ways to prevent pregnancy have not only changed over the years – in many cases, we initially learned the wrong “facts” about them. You may have been lied to in your sex education class, or you may have gotten misconceptions from social media or chatting with friends. You can also just remember things that were once true but don’t apply to the method you use today. So let’s dispel some of these myths.

Myth: Condoms have holes through which sperm or HIV can pass.

This is misinformation, although it is confidently taught in some sex education courses. Condoms do not have holes for semen to pass through. Even sheepskin condoms, which are not recommended for STI prevention, have holes too small for semen to pass through . Semen cannot flow out of an intact condom, although the condom may break or semen will leak out of the open end after the erection has weakened .

Condoms do not (usually) have holes for viruses to pass through and are effective in preventing the transmission of HIV and other viruses. It is true that viruses, including HIV, are very small. HIV is about 145 nanometers or 0.1 micron wide. So how big are the pores in a condom? Well, several studies have looked for pores and failed to find them . Pores in latex condoms do not occur naturally, although they may result from a manufacturing defect.

One study found pores in some store-bought condoms , but the same study concluded that in the “worst case scenario” of wearing a defective condom and jerking within 10 minutes of ejaculation , it is possible that some virus could pass through. through a defect. in latex, but according to their test data, the worst-case expected leakage would still be “at least 10,000 times better than not using a condom at all.”

So, technically, a virus particle can pass through a condom, but in real-life studies, condoms are at least 95% effective in preventing HIV transmission when used correctly and consistently.

Myth: All birth control pills should be taken at the same time each day.

This is true for some types of birth control, but not others. If you are taking a combination pill, you have nothing to worry about.

The progestin-only pills, known as “mini-pills”, need to be taken every day at about the same time. Depending on which pill you are taking, you may have a window of about three hours (in this case, 2:00 pm is just as good as noon) or your window may be more forgiving – some only need to be taken during 12 hours from your usual time. . Check the information on the packaging of your tablet or ask your doctor or pharmacist. If you miss your window, you can usually take an extra pill to get back on track, but you may need to use a fallback method for a few days. Planned Parenthood has a missed pill quiz that will ask you which pill you are taking and when you missed it, as well as advice on what to do.

Combination tablets, which are the more common type, are not as time sensitive. If you usually take the combination pill at noon and forget about it until late in the evening, you can take the pill then and still be protected. However, if more than 24 hours have passed, refer to the package insert or the missed pill quiz to get back on track.

Myth: IUDs are dangerous

IUDs are a “set it and forget it” method of birth control that is not new but is becoming increasingly popular. It wasn’t always like that.

In the 1980s and 1990s, almost no one had an IUD installed in the United States. The popularity of the devices plummeted after one particular model, the Dalcon shield, was found to cause pelvic inflammatory disease and other complications. At least 21 women reportedly died as a result , and thousands suffered infertility or other serious consequences.

But Dalcon’s shield was unique. It prevented pregnancy much worse than other IUDs of the time (there were 70 on the market ), and its thread could act as a conduit to allow bacteria to enter the uterus. (It is not clear if the rope is the sole cause of death and illness; in retrospect, experts say other factors may have been to blame. For example, the crab-like shape of the device may have made it difficult to place it properly, which would explain the lower efficiency as well as the higher complication rate.)

Whatever the reason, people were understandably scared. But the Dalcon shield was produced only from 1970 to 1974, and the modern Navy bears no resemblance to it. Modern IUDs are considered extremely safe and effective by gynecologists.

Myth: You can only get an IUD if you already have children.

Some doctors are reluctant to insert an IUD into people who have never given birth, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises its members that IUDs are just as safe and appropriate for teenagers and “nulliparous women” (those who have not given birth). birth), as well as for everyone else.

If you’ve ever been told by a doctor that he can’t put you in an IUD because you don’t have children, he doesn’t follow the medical literature (or even the package inserts of these devices!), and you should find a new doctor.

Myth: Hormonal birth control increases the risk of cancer.

Some studies have shown that oral contraceptives slightly and temporarily increase the risk of breast and cervical cancer, but these results are inconsistent : some studies do not find an association between birth control and breast cancer.

But it’s also important to note that birth control pills seem to reduce the risk of endometrial, ovarian, and colorectal cancers . In general, it is likely that hormonal contraceptives prevent more cancers than they cause.

Myth: It’s not safe to miss your period.

Birth control pills are often sold in a package that includes inactive pills. During the week you take these pills, you get your period. But you can skip taking these pills and immediately start taking the next pack. This means you won’t have your period – and that’s completely normal .

There is no medical need to induce your body to menstruate. Long-acting contraceptives like Depo-Provera (vaccinated every 12 weeks) and hormonal IUDs (like Mirena, which lasts eight years ) keep you from taking a break from hormones. When using these methods, you may have lighter periods or no periods at all.

Myth: If you’ve had unprotected sex and haven’t gotten pregnant, you’re infertile

This is another relic of bad sex. There is often emphasis on the idea that you can get pregnant even if you only have sex once (true), and people end up believing that they can induce a pregnancy every time they have sex. This part is not true.

In a person who ovulates regularly, usually only a few days each month are “fertile” days. Most of the time we don’t know what days they are. (However, if you want to know about it, there’s this whole thing called fertility awareness , where you try to keep track of your fertile days with the goal of either getting pregnant or avoiding pregnancy.)

There are other reasons why a woman may not get pregnant. For example, you may not ovulate every month. It is more common in teenagers and people who have recently given birth, as well as in certain conditions such as PCOS.

And even if you have sex right at the time of ovulation, it is still impossible to predict whether a sperm will meet an egg. And then, after fertilization, many embryos don’t engraft or don’t develop as a result of the pregnancy. In fact, having sex and not getting pregnant is so common that people trying to have a baby are not considered infertile until they have been trying to get pregnant for a full year . So, you had sex one day and you or your partner didn’t get pregnant? Perhaps you are just lucky.