When it comes to birth control, it is just as crucial to be aware of what does not work, as it is to know of what does. Because faithfully trusting what won’t help you prevent a pregnancy can lead to disastrous results. Several misconceptions occur due to the careless spread of misinformation; a classic case of the blind leading the blind.
Getting your facts right is essential, especially in this case, where bridging the gap between fact and fiction can save several innocent lives.
The Myths
There is NO such thing as a ‘safe’ time for a woman. Ever. Besides using a medically proven method of birth control, a woman can get pregnant due to sexual intercourse any time of the month. Ovulation, the release of the egg from the ovaries, has little to do with the date of your last period. This is especially true for younger women, who do not have a fixed cycle yet, and tend to be irregular for the first couple of months. Also, a woman’s ovulation cycle is affected highly by emotional stress, sickness, and even excess or lack of certain types of food. The life of sperm ranges typically from five to seven days, and a combination of the above two factors renders predicting a so-called ‘safe’ period full of possible falsifications.The following definitely do NOT help wash out sperms effectively:
● Douching, or squirting a liquid into the vagina so as to kill the sperm is ineffectual.
● Urinating or taking a bath also does nothing to wash out the sperm.
● Deodorant vaginal suppositories or deodorant vaginal sprays also do not kill sperm. As a matter of fact, these liquids aren’t merely ineffective, they’re also harmful for the woman.
Some myths that not only completely defy all logic, but also befuddle the mentally challenged:
● You don’t get pregnant if you do it standing up!
● It gets better – this one is quite popular I hear – your chances of getting pregnant are greatly reduced if you do it standing up AND in a closet!
● You don’t get pregnant if you indulge in sexual intercourse during the full moon!
● You don’t risk getting pregnant if you don’t have an orgasm! (Yeah, right! That sure explains the sexual frustration vs. population ratio that prevails in India currently!)
● Toothpaste is a spermicide!
● Plastic sandwich wrap is a viable replacement for a condom!
Note: The above are NOT true.
It is important to bear in mind that any birth control method that depends upon position, frequency of sexual intercourse or the time of the day, is not a birth control method in any sense of the word.
Some couples rely on the guy ‘pulling out’ prior to him ejaculating. A phenomenally optimistic method, at best. The initial presumption that the guy is capable of this, just before experiencing an orgasm, is highly unrealistic. Also, if this super hero of yours does manage to effectively achieve this feat, there are increased chances that the drops of clear fluid that collect on the tip of the penis contain sperm.
It’s also important to bear in mind that the condom is NOT a foolproof method of birth control. It has a failure rate ranging from four to as high as fifteen per hundred woman – years. Sometimes the condom itself may be of poor quality and hence defective. Also, contrary to popular belief, the condom should NOT be applied tightly over the end of the penis. It is critical to leave some room, otherwise the force of the ejaculation may break the condom or propel the fluid towards the open end of the condom.
In conclusion, it is important to note that a singular article such as this one can never logically aspire to details each and every misconception related to birth control. To summarize: if you do not want to get pregnant or wish to avoid impregnating your partner, never use a birth control method that is not medically proven to be effective. In this case, more than any other, it is better to be safe than very, very sorry.
