Not everyone gets a proper sex education and our class 10 books are not enough to answer every question that we have regarding contraceptive measures. This leads to a number of misconceptions and these misconceptions further lead to the disappointment and horror of unwanted pregnancies.
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Contraception Facts
Here are a few facts that you may not have known about contraception.
1. Having sex during your periods does not mean you can’t get pregnant
Some people assume that just because a person is having vaginal bleeding, they cannot get pregnant. This is a dangerous misconception because sometimes women have vaginal bleeding during ovulation. Intercourse during this time is not advisable because the fertilization rate increases manifold. Also, the ovulation dates can never be strictly charted. Sometimes ovulation can happen before the menstrual cycle ends completely. Thus, having sex during one’s periods does not eliminate the risk of pregnancy. Condoms should always be used because they not only protect us from unwanted pregnancies but also STDs of various kinds.
2. Contraceptive pills dictate what kind of a man you prefer
Some say that women are typically attracted to men, who have genetically superior attributes, while they are ovulating. Apparently, this attraction towards ‘macho’ or more masculine men, decreases once they are on contraceptive pills. But genetically superior males may not actually be equal to ‘macho’ men. However, this is true that if a woman changes her contraceptive pill or discontinues its usage, her sexual behavior fluctuates.
3. The reality shows actually helped in decreasing the teen pregnancy rate
The teenage pregnancy rates dropped 5.7 percent from what it had been in 2009 to what it was in 2010. Reality shows may not have many beneficial effects but two economists studied the effect that MTV’s 16 and Pregnant and Teen Moms had on teenagers and got surprising feedback. The teens had actually maintained a level of restraint or used condoms after watching these shows. Since the abortion rate had not gone up, this decrease in teen pregnancies was not due to later termination of pregnancies but better contraceptive measures and the awareness of safe sex.
4. It is actually difficult to get morning-after pills from the pharmacies
Some researchers posed as 17 years old’s and tried to purchase these pills from 940 pharmacies across America. They faced some strange hurdles along the way. Though these pills do not even require a prescription, the reality was quite different. Many of the pharmacies were wrongly informed about the age restrictions, some pharmacies claimed that a boyfriend or a friend could not buy the pills for the woman who needed it, some pharmacies asked for a parent’s consent. Some pharmacies even refused to sell these pills due to certain religious beliefs. In fact, some women claim that the pharmacies harass them so much that they stock up on these pills even before they actually need it.
5. Not all teen girls’ parents are very open to the idea of condoms
Though condoms and IUDs are better contraceptive measures than birth control pills, the parents of teenagers prefer the latter to the former. Sometimes they simply refuse to believe that their children are old enough to engage in sexual activities and this denial leads to the lack of sex education and the awareness of safe sex, this leads to a large number of teenage pregnancies. It is really surprising that parents do not think condoms are a good option because condoms not only protect us from unwanted pregnancies but also STDs.
6. The side effects of taking a contraceptive pill are often exaggerated
Tenderness and aching of the breast, weight gain, nausea are not direct effects of the pills. In fact, the pills should not even cause a change in a woman’s sexual appetite but these side effects are widely reported. Many doctors claim that these symptoms are a sign of our own mental anxiety on taking those pills.
7. Contraceptive pills have certain benefits
Contraceptive pills provide clearer skin (acne reduces), a lower risk of cancer, lighter and less painful periods and PMS relief.
8. A male contraceptive pills are being developed
Sperms are constantly created in the testicles, these hormone pills aim to temporarily stop the process of the production of sperms. But this is difficult because often, the effect of this pill cannot be reversed. While the fall in the testosterone level is temporarily required, a severe fall can lead to a loss of sexual appetite. Certain solutions have been found but the pill is still under trial.
9. Silphium, a plant from the parsley family was used as a contraceptive measure by people in the ancient times
The Romans literally drove a plant, which had contraceptive properties, to extinction. While these people were sexually active, they did not favor large families. Apparently they even used some forms of condoms. Of course, these were not disposable condoms and some people even lacked the money to buy soap to wash the used condoms. So, when this new herb was discovered by the Greeks, an entire economy was founded on this. But unfortunately, silphium could not be cultivated. It grew as a wild herb on the coasts on North Africa. For a while, the protection of the coasts was attempted but due to the large scale smuggling, this proved to be futile. Though it is true that they drove a species of pants to extinction, the actual contraceptive values of this herb cannot be confirmed.
10. Though IUDs are not very famous in the US, they are the most common contraceptive measure worldwide
There seems to be a misconception about IUDs and the surgical contraceptive processes in the United States. But in the rest of the countries, these are the more common contraceptive measures because women know that however slim it may be, condoms have a 2% chance of failure.
Since the majority of people in this world (even doctors) are pro-life, seeking an abortion may result in complications. A few precautions and general awareness can save us from the harassment.