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Sex Myth: You're More Fertile After a Miscarriage

DearSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700

If you're trying to have a baby, you may have heard that after enduring a miscarriage, your body is more fertile. Unfortunately, according to a recent article in The New York Times this is just a rumor. While it's true that your progesterone levels (the hormone that helps with pregnancy) are elevated, there's no evidence to support the notion that it can help you conceive any faster. What's more important is that you get back to your regular menstrual cycle, because as soon as you're ovulating again, you can try to get pregnant.

Miscarriages aren't the most pleasant topic, but it's important to know that they're actually fairly common, occurring in 30 to 50 percent of pregnancies. The reason we think they're uncommon is because most miscarriages occur early on, so early in fact that the woman doesn't even realize she's had one. The good news is that when a woman does get pregnant again, she only has a 2.25 percent chance of miscarrying again. The odds of a third miscarriage are less than one percent.

Keep in mind that starting a family can take some time. As the article notes:

Another study in The New England Journal of Medicine followed a large sample of healthy women seeking to conceive and found that of those who miscarried, 95 percent became pregnant within two years.

So if a little one is on your mind, try to be patient and have fun making it happen.

Source

Sex Myth: Tighter Means Better

DearSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:00:00 -0800

If you or your partner have ever thought that wearing condoms that fit tightly will prevent pregnancy better; that it'll stop sperm from getting out, you're wrong. This is a huge misconception, and could actually cause an unwanted pregnancy. You see if the condom is too tight, the friction of having sex could actually break the material.

Polyurethane and latex condoms are already 85 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, so if used correctly, you can't make them any more effective (unless you use them with another form of birth control such as the Nuvaring).

It's also important to remember that when a guy puts on a condom, he needs to leave a little space at the tip so when he ejaculates, there's room for the semen inside the condom. If it's is pulled on too tightly, it could get overstretched and cause the condom to break, or sperm could overflow out the top. Be sure to follow the directions on the box when using condoms, and make sure the guy always wears the correct size.

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Sex Myth: Peeing After Sex Prevents Pregnancy

DearSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:00:00 -0800

While it's a good idea to visit the powder room after you have sex to prevent a UTI, I'm sorry to burst your bubble but it can't prevent you from becoming pregnant. For a short anatomy lesson here, the hole you pee out of is connected to your urethra and the hole that you have sex with leads to your uterus. As my junior high gym/sex ed teacher told me and my fellow terrified classmates, "They're two separate holes!" Peeing after sex may help to flush out bacteria from your urethra, but it doesn't do anything to flush out semen that has been ejaculated inside you.

Dear's Advice: Definitely pee before and after sex to prevent a UTI, but when it comes to preventing an unplanned pregnancy, use a reliable form of birth control.

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Sex Myth: Day 14

DearSugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:00:00 -0800

If you are not on hormonal birth control such as the Nuvaring or the Pill, it's generally believed that all women ovulate on day 14 of their menstrual cycle. So if you got your period on the first of the month, you would ovulate 14 days later, on day 15. This rule is not necessarily correct for all women, and is based on the assumption that a woman's body follows a perfect 28-day cycle. We know this is not true for all women, and since ovulation can be delayed due to many reasons, including stress, this myth of Day 14 can cause many unwanted pregnancies.

How do you know when you're ovulating? To find out

Sex Myth: Two Condoms Are Better Than One

DearSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:00:00 -0800

Nobody wants to have an unexpected pregnancy. We do all we can not to get pregnant, and some of us even come up with ideas of our own to prevent becoming a premature mom.

I'll never forget when my best friend from high school lost her virginity (she was the first one in our circle of friends). She said that she wanted to be extra sure not to get pregnant, so she made her boyfriend wear two condoms instead of one. Bad idea! While it's true that condoms are 85 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, double bagging (as it's sometimes called) does not make condoms more effective. In fact, wearing two condoms causes tension and friction, so tearing is more likely to happen. Plus, two condoms can be bunchy, which will cause it to not fit properly. If the condom doesn't fit right, it's more likely to slip off, and semen can potentially get inside the vagina causing pregnancy.

Dear's Advice: Stick to using one condom, the right way. If you hate condoms, use another effective form of birth control to make sure you stay pregnant free.

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Sex Myth: If the Woman Is on Top, She Can't Get Pregnant

DearSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:00:00 -0800

I just recently saw that hilarious movie Knocked Up, and I wanted to set something straight. When the guys were talking, one of them said something about how everyone knows that a girl can't get pregnant if she's on top while having sex. According to his belief, gravity makes sure the sperm doesn't get to the egg.

Ladies, listen up, if you didn't already know this, he is completely incorrect. Anytime a man ejaculates inside a woman, the semen goes into her vagina and those sperm use all their might and determination to swim upstream. If even just one of them gets to your egg to fertilize it, boom — you're pregnant regardless of what position you have sex in. Unprotected sex can equal unplanned pregnancy.

If you're not ready to be a mom, use a consistent and effective form of birth control (the Pull and Pray Method is not a good option). Using condoms, an IUD, or hormonal birth control such as the pill or NuvaRing are great options. Find what works for you and stick with it.

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