Sex Myths: Get Your Facts Straight!

By Elizabeth Marchetta, 18, Staff Writer

Originally Published: Feb 24, 2004

Revised: Sep 27, 2010

Girl 1: I get so scared sometimes, because I’m afraid the condom will break and I won’t notice it.

Girl 2: Don’t worry, just double-bag with two condoms; you’ll get better protection. If one breaks, there’s a backup.

This was the conversation between two girls at my lunch table. But Girl 2’s advice will hardly do any good. Double-bagging condoms—putting one on over the other—can cause friction and increase the risk of condom breakage.

The double-bagging myth is one of many sexual health myths that teens hear and take as truth. In some cases, these myths are harmless, even funny. But in other cases, they’re downright dangerous.

To set the record straight on sex myths, I compiled six of the most common ones and dispelled them with the help of Judith Steinhart, M.A., senior health educator at Alice!—the Health Education Program at Columbia University, in New York City.

Elizabeth, 18

Myth 1: Double-bagging a condom is more effective than using just one.

“I used to double-bag till I realized that it isn’t any safer than using just one condom,” says George, 17, of Plainwell, MI.

George is right. Even though it seems logical that two is better than one, double-bagging a condom is NOT more effective. In fact, the friction caused by condoms rubbing together can increase the chances of breakage.

“One condom will work,” says Steinhart. “The most common reason condoms break is human error, specifically dryness, rather than the condom itself. Instead of putting on another condom, use a lubricant—such as Astroglide—inside the condom, to make it a bit more comfortable for the guy, and outside the condom, to keep things wet,” she says.

(To learn all the steps to correct condom use, click here.)

Myth 2: Masturbation makes guys semen dry up.

Not true. Masturbation will NOT make guys semen “dry up.” In the early stages of puberty, a guy’s testicles start constantly producing sperm. So, even the most “active” masturbator won’t exhaust his supply.

“Males are continually producing semen, and it will not dry up. If it seems to dry up, just wait a few hours and more will be produced,” says Steinhart.

Myth 3: Girls who are virgins can NEVER get pregnant.

Not true. While unlikely, a girl who hasn’t had vaginal-penile intercourse can get pregnant.

“If, for instance, a girl’s hymen—the membrane covering her vaginal opening—doesn’t completely cover the opening, and a guy ejaculates his semen right near her vagina, there’s a small chance that sperm can make it to the egg and fertilize it. The possibility of that occurring is very unlikely, but it could and probably has occurred,” says Steinhart.

To completely reduce the risk, a guy should ejaculate far away from a girl’s vaginal opening. And both partners should always use two forms of contraception during any type of intercourse—oral, vaginal, or anal. One form (like a latex condom) to protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and another (like the Pill) to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

Myth 4: If a girl has sex right before her period, she can’t get pregnant.

Not true.

“A girl can become pregnant during any point of her menstrual cycle,” says Steinhart. “Her peak time for becoming pregnant is during ovulation, but it’s hard to figure out exactly when a female ovulates. In addition, sperm stay alive in the vagina for a few days, so that has to be taken into consideration as well. There is no sure ’safe’ time.”

So, no matter what time of the month it is, you should use two forms of contraception during intercourse.

Myth 5: A girl can get pregnant from oral sex with a guy.

“This is completely illogical,” says Steinhart, “Whether you’re giving or getting oral sex, the sperm aren’t anywhere near the vaginal opening and the girl will not get pregnant.”

Yet this doesn’t mean that oral sex is risk-free.

Many STDs are just as easily transmitted during oral sex as during vaginal or anal sex. So, exercise good judgment. Communicate with your partner about your sexual history and always use protection. To protect yourself during oral sex with a guy, use flavored latex condoms. For oral sex with a girl, use a Sheer Glyde Dam.

Myth 6: A girl can’t get pregnant if she has intercourse in the water.

“I remember someone telling me that water kills sperm,” says Ruth, 15, of Montclair, NJ.

Like Ruth, some teens hear that sex in the water is “safe.” This is NOT true.

“If a guy ejaculates in a woman during intercourse, it doesn’t matter what their surroundings are. The semen is deep inside her vagina, making pregnancy a possibility as well as STDs, if no condom is used,” says Steinhart.

So, when it comes to sexual health, what’s the best way to separate myth from fact? Don’t rely on rumors—get accurate information from credible sources, or ask educated adults or peer educators your sexual health questions.

Your Comments

RE: Ahhh.

Posted by: SexExpert1 on Aug 18th, 2010 9:13am

When a girl's menstrual flow is heavy it can increase the
size of the tampon due to the amount of fluid it's
absorbing, and can cause pain when she removes it. However,
this pain may be attributed to something more serious such
as Toxic Shock Syndrome, which is a blood infection that can
occur after leaving in a tampon for too long. It could be
something less serious, but since we are not doctors we
cannot diagnose you. You may want to talk to your health
care provider sooner rather than later.

Ahhh.

Posted by: Mizzi101 on Aug 17th, 2010 10:47pm

I recently started using tampons for the first time.I used
Tampax Pearl Lite.It was comfortable and I had no pain
inserting.The flow got a bit heavier so I switched to
regular, no problems there.After a day of using regular, I
pulled out the last one I used that day and began feeling
sharp pains in the lowest part of my abdomin and around the
pelvic area. I felt like I was pulling my guts out.So while
inserting another,I felt the same sharp pain and pressure.
It never went away. What's going on?

RE: Missed period :/

Posted by: SexExpert1 on Aug 16th, 2010 8:56am

Sometimes breast tenderness can be attributed to a girl's
menstrual cycle, and a girl's menstrual cycle and be late or
can be missed altogether due to many things, including
stress. If you are concerned that you may be pregnant taking
an at-home pregnancy test or one at your local clinic can go
a long way to relieving any anxiety you may be feeling.

Missed period :/

Posted by: Mizzi101 on Aug 9th, 2010 12:35am

So, my last period was in May, and now it's the beginning of
August. Im a little scared, though this has happened once
before. My breasts are a tiny tad sore but only when I
really feel around on them or push on them. Is this normal?
I haven't gained any weight, and I think women normally gain
weight when they are pregnant. I don't remember doing
anything without safety though. So why all the odd symptoms?
I'm so afraid that maybe I was unsafe without realization.
Any reassurance? ):

Re: Help?

Posted by: LesleyE on Jul 13th, 2010 4:21pm

Because your boyfriend says he urinated before any sexual
behaviors happened between you, there should not have been
any sperm in his pre-ejaculate. Therefore, the only way for
you to have a risk of being pregnant is if he ejaculated
inside the vagina or directly outside of the vaginal
opening. Since it doesn't sound as if he ejaculated you
should not have to worry about being pregnant.

Re: Help?

Posted by: LesleyE on Jul 13th, 2010 4:20pm

The situation that you describe is known as coercion.
Coercion is being pushed into something that you aren't
comfortable with and don't want to do. Sexual behavior of
any kind is meant to be an enjoyable experience for both
people, both physically and emotionally. It is never OK to
push someone into something that they are not comfortable
with. This is a great opportunity to you may want to have a
conversation with your partner about your personal
boundaries regarding sexual behaviors.

Help?

Posted by: mizzie on Jul 4th, 2010 6:09am

I don't want sex with my boyfriend, but somehow he convinced
me to pull my pants down a little and let him take his penis
out so he can put it against me. While he was moving, he had
precum on the tip and his penis slipped between my legs but
downward not facing the enterance of my vagina. I was laying
there for like a minute terrified.:/ Finally I pushed him
off and told him to stop. I asked if he felt safe about the
previous activity and he said he peed bofore we started.
Still pregnancy risk?

re: pre-cum

Posted by: CJT on Dec 1st, 2009 10:18am

Precum does not typically contain sperm. If a guy has
recently ejaculated then there may be sperm left in his
urethra, which can be picked up by precum as precum travels
through the urethra and out the penis. It is possible to get
pregnant from precum, but not all that likely. Here's an FAQ
about that topic: http://www.sexetc.org/faq/pregnancy/992

pre-cum

Posted by: PButlerHarris on Nov 28th, 2009 6:05pm

I noticed that in Myth #3 it says that a guy should
ejaculate far from the vagina as possible, but this implies
that a female is not likely to get pregnant if the guy
ejaculates away from the vagina. That concerns me as that is
how I became pregnant at the age of 16. I became pregnant by
pre-cum and I think it is very important to let everyone
know that pre-cum is when there is a little escpae of
semen(wet tip on the tip of penis)that is enough to get a
female pregnant.

cherry popper

Posted by: originaldoll18 on Oct 21st, 2008 12:04am

you should also put down that there isn't an actual cherry
inside a girl that pops when she loses her virginity. It's
called a cherry because she bleeds not because she's got a
cherry or a round ball inside her that pops