MYTH: You can’t get pregnant if…

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There are literally hundreds of myths about contraception - most are hearsay, and others have historically been circulated as fact though they aren’t true! Here are a few examples….

… the woman doesn’t orgasm

This urban legend has been around since Ancient Greece! Victorian doctors specifically advised men to not “titillate” their wives should they not want a child, as the likelihood of pregnancy ‘increased tenfold’ if a woman enjoyed sexual intercourse.

This myth has been derived simply from the fact that the male orgasm is interlinked with ejaculation of sperm. Whilst people with penises must ejaculate to produce sperm, most people with uteruses release an egg each month as part of their menstrual cycle - this happens whether they are sexually active or not.

…you shower, urinate or douche right after sex

Sorry, but none of these are an effective contraception against pregnancy. After ejaculation, any sperm that has passed the cervix is well out of reach of any cleaning solution or water. Urination happens in the urethra, not the vagina, so does not affect anything past the cervix.

It is, however, good to urinate after sex to avoid UTI infections!

…if your partner pulls out before ejaculating

It is a common misconception that using the withdrawal method means no sperm has been left in the vagina. It can be a common occurrence in certain people to release some ejaculate (the fluid that contains sperm) before they even begin to climax, and many who rely on the withdrawal method often do not withdraw in time.

Recent statistics have shown that for every 100 people attempting to use this as a method of contraception, 22 have had unintended pregnancy.

…it’s your first time having sexual intercourse

You can get pregnant any time ovulation occurs – even if it’s your first time having PIV (penis in vagina) sexual intercourse!

…if you have penis-in-vagina sex in a Jacuzzi

Some believe if you have sex in a hot tub that the hot, bubbling waters will simply kill off any sperm left inside of you. This is absolutely not the case! Much the other examples, if a penis ejaculates inside a vagina there is nothing that can wash away sperm that has passed the cervix.

You also cannot get pregnant simply by being in a hot tub someone else has ejaculated in… whilst the hot water may not kill sperm, hot tubs are not pools of living sperm!

..,you are breastfeeding.

Biologically it is possible to get pregnant any time from around three weeks after giving birth. You do not have to have had your period, many regain fertility weeks before any physical signs of a periods, and breastfeeding alone is not a contraceptive from becoming pregnant.

The belief that breastfeeding acts as a contraceptive has circled in popular culture due to breastfeeding reducing certain hormones within the body that are needed for ovulation. Though these hormones are temporarily reduced during breastfeeding, they are not removed completely, and vary in level depending on how often a variety of factors such as how often a baby feeds and if you have started ovulating again.

…if you have sex standing up

Some people believe that gravity is so powerful it will literally pull the sperm right back out again! Unfortunately, not… positions have nothing to do with whether or not fertilization occurs – sperm naturally moves towards the cervix, immediately after ejaculation. In fact, the speed at which ejaculation occurs often means that sperm can make it to the cervix immediately after climax.

Much like douching or showering, standing up will not get rid of any semen that has already made it past the cervix.

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Image: Charlotte Willcox, 2019