Truth Be Told

Peanut butter. Plastic bags. Mountain Dew. You might not think they have a lot in common but, according to Michelle Blomgren’s former classmates, all three are methods of birth control.

If that sounds ridiculous, don’t worry. It is. None of those things will help prevent pregnancy. Even Blomgren, an 18-year-old who lives in Rockville, Ill., knew better. But rumors like these spread like wildfire at her old high school, she says, and many teenagers she knew bought into even the most outlandish ideas.

To be fair, people have been accepting (and spreading) incorrect information about birth control since there was any information to spread. But, as sex has become less taboo in American culture, it should be relatively simple to get the facts. Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily true.

“Our sex-saturated society bombards teens with sexual images every day,” says Dr. Vanessa Cullins, vice president of medical affairs for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, “but it doesn’t always give teens the tools they need to protect their health and their futures, such as comprehensive sex education.”

In fact, in some cases, young people aren’t even getting accurate information in sex education classes. Blomgren says that the climate of misinformation among her classmates was only made worse by fallacies spread by her teachers. “I attended a Lutheran school my freshman year and in health class we were taught that condoms were only 60 percent effective when used properly,” she says. “We were taught that there was no birth control out there that was over 80 percent effective.”

“That is just absolutely false,” Dr. Cullins says.

Even with typical use—that  is, even when couples use them incorrectly—condoms are effective about 85 percent of the time.  When used correctly, they are 98 percent effective. And hormonal birth control, like the pill, can be 92 percent to 98.7 percent effective, depending on how well it’s used. Plus, condoms protect you from STDs as well. They offer nearly 100 percent protection against HIV/AIDS and significantly reduce the risk of transmitting other STDs.

This disparity in what teenagers know about sex and what they know about safe sex is further complicated by fears of being caught and sometimes-confusing ideas about what counts as “good” behavior. Dr. Donnica Moore, a multimedia women’s health educator, says that homemade birth control methods, like peanut butter, might appeal to teens simply because there’s no stigma associated with buying it. “Girls have all kinds of negative ideas about carrying a condom,” she says. “They think it’s OK to have sex, but only if you haven’t planned for it ahead of time. They seem to think that if you carry a condom, it means you’re a slut.”

According to Cullins and Moore, the only way to counteract all the bad information and crippling embarrassment is to improve sex education. If we’re really serious about preventing teen pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, they contend, it’s vitally important for today’s teenagers to have access to literature and lessons that cover more than just the reasons not to have sex and provide information about more than just one or two forms of protection. If that’s not available, they say that teens—ideally with help from their parents—should  work to educate themselves. Moore recommends the book Our Bodies, Ourselves and Cullins suggests checking out Planned Parenthood’s Web site

Just the Facts, Ma’am

The truth behind some of today’s most prevalent myths about birth control and sex

Myth: Oral and Manual Sex Are Completely Safe Alternatives

Teens have mixed opinions about these acts. Some view them as a way to get the benefits of sex without any of the risks. But plenty of others end up worried that thing like oral sex could leave them pregnant. Both are wrong.

The Truth: Oral, manual, and anal sex aren’t risk-free. All these alternatives to sex, particularly anal, can still spread STDs. To reduce the risk of infection with anal sex, use condoms. For oral sex you can use condoms or dental dams. On the other hand, there isn’t much of a chance these acts could get you pregnant. Pregnancy is only possible if semen gets on your vaginal area (even the outside).

Myth: You Can’t Get Pregnant On Your Period

The Truth: It’s not common, but it is possible. Women are fertile when they’re ovulating—that  is, when their body has released a mature egg cell into their reproductive tract. Periods flush the egg away, so it’s true that, technically, there’s nothing for sperm to fertilize until another egg is released. However, sperm can live in the vagina for several days—anywhere from five to seven, depending on who you ask. If you have unprotected sex on your period and there are still sperm around when you start ovulating again, pregnancy can happen.

Myth: Douching or Jumping Up and Down After Sex Will Prevent Pregnancy

The Truth: If that were the case, women who wanted to get pregnant would never be able to stand up. Women’s bodies have evolved to keep at least some of the semen from falling out when they stand; there’s actually a sort of indentation inside the vagina that holds semen in place after sex. Jumping up and down will not knock it all out. Douching—no matter what you douche with—may just push the sperm into your uterus. If you’ve had unprotected sex in the last five days and are worried about getting pregnant, the best option is emergency contraception. You can get it through your doctor or through a Planned Parenthood health center.

Myth: Guys Who Drink Mountain Dew Can’t Get You Pregnant

The Truth: This myth is associated with long-standing urban legends about yellow dye No. 5. But, fact is, that yellow dye has been in use for nearly 100 years and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Suffice to say, it doesn’t lower sperm count. Even if it did, Moore says that a man with a low sperm count still might have as many as 20 million of the little swimmers in every cubic centimeter of semen. And there’s at least two to four cc of semen every time a man ejaculates. That’s still plenty of chances to get pregnant.

Myth: Only Teenagers Have Unplanned Pregnancies

The Truth: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy says that the birthrate among women age 15 to 19 has dropped by 35 percent since 1991. Today, Moore says, unintended pregnancies are common among women in their late 40s. The problem: Many older women assume they’re too old to get pregnant before they actually are. Some also mistake pre-menopausal symptoms for menopause itself and stop using protection, only to discover that they had at least one viable egg left.