A friend of mine just
told me that she was pregnant. This was completely unexpected,
especially since she thought she couldn't get pregnant at all. She
sees it as a blessing now, but there was a time in her life when an
unplanned pregnancy would be considered anything but. In that vein,
here are a few myths and misconceptions some people have about
pregnancy. I know some of these things seem kind of 'juvenile', but
you'd be surprised what beliefs some people carry into adulthood.
Also, this could be a good article to share with your teenage daughter.
1-You can't get
pregnant the first time.
Fact-If you get your
period, you can get pregnant. It doesn't matter whether it's your
first time or your fifty-first time.
2-You can't get
pregnant if you have sex on your period.
Fact-Not really. There
may be days when a woman is less likely to get pregnant than other
times in the month, but that is not 'foolproof' by any means. For one
thing, ovulation can occur more than once a month or at unpredictable
times, even if a woman's cycle is usually 'regular'. This is one
reason natural family planning (aka the 'rhythm method') isn't as
effective as other methods.
Also, sperm can live
for up to five days in a woman's body. This means that, even if there
were 'safe days', sperm
could 'wait' for another day.
3- I don't need to use
the Pill because I don't have sex enough to make it worth the
cost/effort/etc.
Fact-Technically this
could be true, especially since there are other forms or birth
control (i.e. contraceptive sponges, patches) that can provide
ongoing protection. However, the Pill can also help with things such
as PMS or irregular periods. It's all up to you.
4- You can't get pregnant if he 'pulls out'.
Fact-Yes, you can. Even
if he doesn't ejaculate inside you, a man's penis secretes a small
bit of fluid right beforehand that contains sperm. It might not
have as many sperm as ejaculate does, but it only takes one to do the
trick!
5-You can't get
pregnant if you drink a lot of Dr. Pepper.
Fact-I just made that up.
6-I can't get pregnant while breastfeeding.
Fact-This is only
partly true. It is true that ovulation and menstruation don't
happen very often when a woman is regularly breastfeeding a baby.
However, this 'blissful state' doesn't last forever; since periods do
eventually come back, it's possible to ovulate without knowing it.
7- I don't need to use
a condom because I use The Pill/an IUD/etc.
Fact-While they are
effective in preventing pregnancy, The Pill and IUDs do not help
prevent HIV or any other STD.
And finally, here's
another sort of 'myth':
8-Women over <insert
age here> shouldn't have babies because the child will come out
with ten arms and six heads.
Fact-This is my
hyperbolic way of saying that it doesn't matter how old you are. In
the past there were concerns that a baby born to a mother over the
age of 35 would come out with Down's Syndrome or other chromosomal
defects, but science has advanced to the point where this isn't a
problem.
Just like I said
above-if you get your period, you can get pregnant. Women in their
mid-30s and above may have a higher instance of fertility problems,
but that doesn't mean that pregnancy is impossible or not
recommended.
For more information,
check out
http://womenshealth.about.com/od/birthcontrol/tp/10birthcontrol.htm.
Have a good day!
