Are gender roles natural or the product of evolution as a society? Are sexual preferences innate? Would people be happier if they didn’t commit to monogamy? Like any other controversial topic, the world of sexuality is surrounded by many interesting questions, but also by numerous myths and misconceptions.
Although there have been many advances in the understanding of taboos and sexual habits, there is also a lot of incorrect information about sex and everything that surrounds it.. This includes numerous misconceptions about conception, contraception, desire, and pleasure. Young people today still hold a multitude of false beliefs around sexuality. Some of them are downright worrisome, even dangerous; so it is more necessary than ever to try to correct them. In this article we address the different misconceptions that remain current today on the subject of sexuality and gender.
What are the most controversial myths surrounding sexuality?
For a long time sexuality has been surrounded by superstitions and social taboos. Many myths and lies about sex were formed because of years of silence and shame. Secrecy and lack of information about sexuality have caused unnecessary stress and trouble for many people across generations. This stress also materializes in the form of sexual difficulties or anxieties. Although there have been many advances in the understanding of sexuality in recent years.
Despite the availability of information and communication on the web, many people are still faced with these falsehoods. The web also provides misinformation that encourages misconceptions, fears, and taboos. These problems can be alleviated in an easy and effective way, providing a clear language when talking about sexuality, and freeing it from myths and taboos.
The establishment of a transparent language combined with science and emotions lays the foundation for the development of a healthy sexual education. In this sense, below we dismantle some of the most repeated myths that are still valid.
1. You can’t enjoy sex with a condom
This is one of the most repeated and most dangerous myths. The condom not only protects against the risk of unwanted pregnancies, but also against different sexually transmitted diseases, so we could say that its use is mandatory. Many people claim that sex with a condom is not felt; however, they reach orgasm when they have a protected sexual relationship.
Some people try to have sex without using a condom using this excuse. This conduct is frankly irresponsible and puts the health of other people at risk, as well as their own.. To have sex without a condom, it is necessary to perform tests for sexually transmitted diseases.
2. Masturbating makes it difficult to orgasm
Numerous studies have shown the benefits of masturbation on physical health (reduces the risk of suffering from certain types of cancer in men) and psychological; improves mood and general mood. As for orgasm, no type of negative correlation between masturbation and quality when it comes to reaching it has been shown. If we stop to think about it, masturbation allows us to get to know our body and discover what we like and excite sexually, this can only make us enjoy better sexual relations and not the other way around.
Now, if we masturbate excessively, we may notice some genital numbness, and this can make it difficult to achieve an orgasm. Although studies suggest that it is rare and if it occurs it does not last long.
3. You can’t get pregnant if you have sex in water.
This is completely false. Like unprotected sex, this is another of the most dangerous myths surrounding sexuality and contraception. If there is penetration, the sperm is deposited inside the vagina and the sperm goes towards the uterus. The sperm do not die if the vagina is in contact with water. So having sex in the sea, in a lake, in the pool or in a jacuzzi or any other place with water does not avoid the risk of pregnancy.
4. Having multiple sexual experiences is embarrassing.
Enjoying different sexual experiences or having multiple partners should never be a reason for shame, on the contrary, this should be one of the people who point it out. This behavior and interference in the lives of others is wrong, as well as hurtful. There’s nothing wrong with having sex: sex (as long as it’s consensual) is pleasurable, fun, and a natural and fundamental part of the human experience. Of course, it should be noted that protection measures must always be used to avoid sexually transmitted infections.
5. A person cannot get pregnant if they are on top during intercourse
This false belief, whose explanation responds to the law of gravity, is a joke that appears in a well-known romantic comedy. However, some people think the joke is true. Pregnancy can occur in any position where there is vaginal penetrationIn addition, sperm can survive in the vagina for several days. So it is better not to use any position -however difficult it may be- as a contraceptive method.
6. Reversing is 100% effective
Some people use reversing as a contraceptive measure. First of all, it should be noted that this method does not prevent the transmission of sexual diseases. And its effectiveness is well below what is believed: each year, 27 out of 100 people who use reverse gear as a method of contraception become pregnant. This means that this method is 73% effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies; this percentage is well below other methods such as condoms or birth control pills.
7. Anal sex is not sex
We live in a heteronormative and coitocentric society; looks and sexual expectations pass through the penis. For this reason, some consider only penetration as full sex. Oral, anal, or manual sex have long been considered incomplete sexual acts.. However, this belief is false, they are also sexual practices, in fact any activity that involves the use of the sexual organs is.
Therefore, there is also a risk of disease transmission when maintaining this type of relationship, in this case the existence of false myths can put health at risk. It is important to stop worrying about concepts such as the loss of virginity and purity, which help to perpetuate these false beliefs and put the health of the youngest at risk.
8. You can only have one STD at a time
Around STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) there are a whole series of myths and false beliefs. One of the most widespread is that you can only have one STD at a time. This is completely false, in fact, on the contrary, if we contract one STD, it is more likely to contract another, since the first one weakens the immune system, which becomes less effective in fighting other infections. In addition, there are diseases that can be transmitted at the same time. This means that if we contract an STD it is necessary to carry out a test to see if we have other diseases.
9. Orgasm is only achieved with vaginal intercourse
This belief is false, although for a long time the inability to achieve an orgasm through penetration was considered a diagnosable medical problem in women. Vaginal intercourse refers to the introduction of the penis into the vagina. Orgasms, the product of a different practice than non-heterosexual vaginal intercourse, have been judged unacceptable throughout history.
Besides, some people mistakenly think that achieving orgasm is only possible when there is penetration. However, there are many practices that can lead us to achieve an orgasm. Orgasm is defined as the peak of sexual pleasure, it includes the release of endorphins and a series of muscular contractions of the sexual organs. This is achieved through sexual stimulation, usually directly from the genitals. However, in the case of women, there are studies that show that this can be experienced without direct stimulation of the clitoris or vagina.
9. Sex during menstruation is bad
This is completely false. Although there are people who prefer not to have sex during menstruation, there is no type of study or scientific basis that concludes that doing so presents a problem or risk to health. What’s more, having sexual intercourse during menstruation can help reduce the pain experienced by the successive contractions of the uterus. As for the false belief about low libido: this is true, but only for some people. Others, on the other hand, present a considerable increase in sexual appetite during the period.
Finally, it should be added that it is common to have misconceptions about pregnancy and sexuality and more when you have no experience. Additionally, some blogs and articles may contain inaccurate or misleading information. So it is okay to ask our doctor or another trusted person for additional information, especially if the information we have found is not entirely clear to us or we believe that it is not true. There are also free information and counseling centers for young people.
