Gullibility often comes with a price so it helps to know if you can catch STD from a toilet seat or avoid pregnancy by having sex during your periods. © AFP/file June 05, 2009, (Sawf News) - Gullibility often comes with a price so it helps to know if you can catch STD from a toilet seat or avoid pregnancy by having sex during your periods.
Women sex myths abound and Amy O'Connor, executive editor of health.com, exposes some of them on ABC.
Can you catch STD from toilet seat? - Myth
You can’t catch STD from urine because urine is virtually sterile and does not carry bacteria. You expose yourself to STD only if you kiss or have skin contact with the carrier of the disease. However, it still makes sense to use a toilet seat cover in public toilets.
You can't get pregnant during your period - Myth
If you are one of those women who have a long period, like a week, you could be ovulating on the seventh day of your period. A sperm can live in your body for 72 hours. So there is a chance of you getting pregnant if you have unprotected sex during your period. It’s important to use protection at all times.
Birth control pills make you gain weight - Myth
Modern birth control pills have such low levels of hormones that they cannot make you gain weight. Women often tend to blame their pills for their weight gain but the fault usually lies with their eating habits.
One should avoid injectable birth control shots as they can make you gain small amount of weight - 11 lbs in three years. Once again Amy insists that it’s very important to use some contraceptive to avoid an unplanned pregnancy.
According to a detailed study by German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care none of the trials found a definite link between hormonal contraceptives and weight gain.
HPV vaccination keeps you safe from cervical cancer - Myth
HPV vaccination is very important and every woman should get one but it does not completely guard you against cervical cancer. About 30% of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine, so it is important for women to continue taking regular Pap tests.
The CDC recommended age for HPV vaccination for girls is from 11 to 12 years. However, those who have not been vaccinated, or completed the vaccine series, can do so from 13 through 26 years of age.
Pap test at 18? - Myth
Doctors recommend Pap test for women above 21 years of age, or younger women who have been sexually active for three years.
National Cancer Institute reports that it is safe to get the test done every three years, because cervical cancer usually develops slowly. Cervical cancer is extremely rare in women under age 25.
You can’t get pregnant when you have sex for the first time - Myth
Amy calls it a dangerous myth, especially if you are young because young women are much more fertile than older women. So once again use of contraceptive is a must at all times.
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