Good news and bad news, everyone! The good, no, the great news first: according to the CDC, the US teen pregnancy rate is at a 70-year low. High five, everyone.
The bad news? U.S. teen birth rates are still higher than in any other developed country. 194,000 teen girls aged 15-19 still give birth every year. Oops.
Helping teens transition into healthy, happy, adults is a community issue, and we here at TeenSource.org are here to help. Information on birth control, abstinence, and sexuality is available to all and it is your right. Today, we present to you the 10 Most Common Pregnancy Rumors, and remind you not to fall for any of them. Congratulations on the good work, and remember that if you’re going to have sex, a condom is always your best protection against pregnancy and STDs!
- Rumor: You can’t get pregnant if you’re both virgins.
Truth: You’re just as likely to get pregnant if it’s your first time or your fiftieth. - Rumor: You can’t get pregnant if you’ve never had your period.
Truth: You get pregnant when you ovulate, and sometimes that can happen right before you have intercourse even if you haven’t had your first period. Pregnancy before even getting a period is entirely possible and entirely common. - Rumor: You can’t get pregnant if you’re on your period.
Truth: Menstrual cycles are very unpredictable and vary, especially in teenagers (that means you, friend), and someone can easily get pregnant when they are on their period. - Rumor: You can’t get pregnant if you are on birth control.
Truth: It happens! A lot. Birth control pills/shots will give you a good edge, but there is no surefire way to prevent pregnancy, and they don’t protect against STDs! - Rumor: If you do it girl-on-top, you can’t get pregnant.
Truth: Sperm are tough, and they designed to fight gravity. It doesn’t matter what position you’re in, if you have unprotected sex you can get pregnant. - Rumor: If you both leave your underwear on you can’t get pregnant.
Truth: If this one were true, condoms would be made of cloth. It’s a lot cheaper than latex. Even if there isn’t any skin to skin contact, sperm can and will get through fabric and most other barriers. The materials that they make condoms out of are the same materials that they make spaceships and submarines out of. Trust the NASA engineers and go with a condom, not your undies! - Rumor: You can’t get pregnant if he pulls out.
Truth: Pulling out requires perfect timing and nobody is perfect! If someone with a penis pulls out even a second too late that can result in sperm being ejaculated into the vagina which could cause pregnancy. In fact, about 1 in 5 people who use pulling out as their birth control method will become pregnant each year. - Rumor: Jumping up and down after sex will cause the sperm to leave your body.
Truth: On average, about 300 million sperm are released after each ejaculation. Even if you managed to get a few out, there are still millions more. This one is a no. - Rumor: If the person with a vagina doesn't orgasm, they can't get pregnant.
Truth: Pregnancy occurs when sperm fertilizes an egg, no orgasm required. An egg is released when someone ovulates which happens whether or not they have an orgasm. - Rumor: Douching after sex will prevent pregnancy.
Truth: When a person with a penis ejaculates, the sperm travels up the vagina and through the cervix, where it cannot be reached by douche. Douching can also upset the natural balance of your vagina which could lead to irritation or infection. Douching is a big no-no!