There is plenty of misinformation in the world regarding birth control. In times past, the reasons that a women did or did not get pregnant were often codified into a variety of myths and rumors, and to a certain extent, nothing has changed. By taking a good look at some of these myths and examining how true they are, we can take a step towards educating women about their bodies and their choices.


One prevalent birth control myth is that a woman cannot get pregnant the first time she has sex. This myth is false; any time unprotected intercourse happens, no matter how many or how few times it has happened before, there is a chance that the woman will get pregnant.


Some people believe that using the rhythm method will prevent pregnancy. The rhythm method helps you calculate ovulation, but originally it was intended to help childless couples pinpoint their top fertility periods. Ovulation can be affected by a wide variety of different factors, including stress, illness, even a change in diet, and because it can be difficult to tell when a woman is actually ovulating, the rhythm method is an extremely unreliable form of birth control.


Another birth control myth states that a woman can't get pregnant if the man pulls out. While this can prevent pregnancy, this is still in extremely risky form of birth control. When sexually aroused, men produce a clear fluid at the tip of the penis that appears prior to ejaculation. This fluid does contain sperm, and because of this, it is possible for the woman to become pregnant even if the man does not climax inside of her. Similarly, keep in mind that a man's self-control in this regard is not always perfect; relying on a man to be able to pull out at a time of heightened sexual arousal is extremely risky. Similarly, it can be noted that even when a man pulls out and ejaculates near or on a woman's vagina, as opposed to in it, there is a small chance that the sperm can mix with the vaginal fluid and work its way in.


Some people believe that a pregnancy will not occur if the woman does not orgasm. Orgasm and enjoyment have nothing to do with whether or not a child is conceived. Similarly, the position that is use during intercourse has no relation to whether or not a woman will get pregnant, nor will it have any effect on the gender of the child if one is produced.


Douching, the process of rinsing out the vagina does not have a perceptible affect on whether a woman gets pregnant or not. It has even been guessed that the process of douching can push sperm further into the vagina, thus increasing the chance of pregnancy. Many birth control myths refer to women using Coca Cola or even cleaning agents like Lysol to douche after intercourse, and while these treatments won't affect the chances for pregnancy, there is a good chance that the women using them will experience very severe infections as a result.


Another common birth control myth is that a woman cannot get pregnant while she is still breastfeeding. While it is unlikely, it is important to remember that breastfeeding quickly returns the body to a pre-pregnancy state. Because of this, it can actually make a woman more receptive to pregnancy than she would be if she were bottle feeding.


Different countries have different birth control myths. In China, it was widely believed at one point that pregnancy could be prevented if a woman ate tadpoles after intercourse. Because this led to a variety of parasites entering their systems, there was a good chance that they might miscarry, but the treatment certainly not a real method of birth control. Similarly, in some parts of Africa, it was believed that women could not get pregnant while they were menstruating. While generally women who are menstruating are not at a point in their cycles where their bodies are receptive to fertilization, there is still a chance for a woman to get pregnant during this time.


Remember that when it comes to birth control, you should always speak to a doctor and find out what options are available to you. Relying on myths about birth control is unreliable at best and outright harmful at worst!