Two Day Magazine

...Don't Become a Statistic!

I was having a chat with my younger sister the other day and she was ranting about how the younger girls and boys in her high school are totally clueless about their bodies, sex and getting preggers.

In light of shows like “16 and Pregnant” or “Teen Mom” (which MTV seems obsessed over showing again and again and again) these shows send mixed messages to young women about what is really going on in dealing with a pregnancy, (the mental, physical, and emotional anguish that comes with having an unplanned pregnancy) and being a glamorized TV show. Movies like “Juno” I believe have also done more harm that good, making it seem like you just pop out a baby, give it away, and go back to playing the guitar with your skinny boyfriend without missing a beat. That’s bullshit.

So, let’s take a few minutes and debunk some of the most common myths surrounding pregnancy since we can’t expect parents or schools to do if for us!

1. You can’t get pregnant if you are having your period. 

FALSE. You most CERTAINLY can get pregnant during your period. You can get pregnant ANYTIME during your cycle, no matter what you may have heard. If you are one of the few women who has a completely normal monthly cycle, that means during your period you are not ovulating. However, girls that have shorter cycles (shorter than 28 days between periods) or irregular cycles (meaning you spot or bleed even when it isn’t your period) you can ovulate during your period. It isn’t a guarantee that you ovulate around day 14. Sperm can live inside a female for up to FIVE days, so if you ovulate within a week of unprotected sex, 9 months later, you could be a momma!

2. You can’t get pregnant if he pulls out before ejaculating.

If a guy tells you “Aw, I don’t like condoms. I’ll just pull out.” Tell him “better yet, you aren’t pushing in,” and then start to put your clothes on. Guys will normally change their tune quickly when they know game time could be over. Ladies, you set the pace here, so don’t put yourself at risk over worrying about some guy not wanting to use condoms. BIG MISTAKE.
    Withdrawal is not a reliable way to prevent pregnancy for many reasons. Obviously, if he says that before you start, things may change once he is climaxing and whoops! He just came. How shocking that he didn’t warn you so you could jump back ten feet!
    Also, once a guy gets hard, he secretes pre-ejaculate fluid (that fluid can contain over 300,000 sperm) Those are not good odds considering you just need one of those little guys to make it to the prize egg!
    In fact, even if he ejaculates outside the vagina, sperm have those little tails made for swimming, so if the semen is even near the vagina, it can still lead to pregnancy, especially if the girl is wet. The lubrication helps move the semen along towards the egg.

3. A Girl Can’t Get Preggers Her First Time or If She is on Top

Sooooo not true. It doesn’t matter what position you are in during sex (and there are lots of fun ones to choose from.) Gravity ain’t that strong! You can get pregnant even if you are on top, so always use a condom and/or another reliable form of birth control EVERY TIME.As for the first time? Give me a break. This is such an old myth! A woman’s chance of conceiving are always the same (about 1 in 20) even if it is your first time doing it. Once a girl beings ovulating (and this can happen even before her first period--considering you ovulate at day 14 of your cycle, normally) she can definitely   get pregnant, so don’t let anyone convince you otherwise!
    Also, the myth of you can’t get pregnant in a jacuzzi is FALSE. The myth of jumping up and down after sex to “dislodge” semen is FALSE.

4. Use a Balloon or Saran Wrap in case you don’t have a Condom.
    
NOOOOOO. Such a bad idea! Neither of these condom-imposters will work, and most likely they will irritate the woman’s delicate tissue, increasing chance of blood vessels to break, making it easier to contract an STI. And, just in case you were wondering, toothpaste as a spermicide does not kill sperm, either, and can really reek havoc on your reproductive tract.

5. Douching, Bathing or Showering Prevents Getting Preggers

FALSE AGAIN! Douching is an outdated thing to do, considering the vagina is a self-cleaning system. Douching can strip the vagina of “good” bacteria that live inside and can create an imbalance, which can lead to a yeast infection. Even if you douche immediately after sexual intercourse, it will have no effect on the sperm, and even worse, can PUSH the sperm faster towards the egg! Yikes! There was this myth floating around about douching with Coca-Cola can kill sperm, which it can, but it is not effective at all and can do MAJOR harm to your reproductive tract. Feminine deodorants and sprays can’t help you either, and there is no reason to use them, anyway. They just mess up your pH level and can cause infections.
        Peeing after sex is a good idea to help prevent a UTI, but it has no effect on preventing pregnancy. Showering and bathing after sex can feel really great, but will not wash away the sperm, either.

So, ladies, whatever crazy ideas you may have heard about getting pregnant, always remember that it is YOUR BODY. YOUR DECISION. The better choices that you make now, will positively effect you and your life in the long run. And guys? Don’t be a fool, wrap your tool!