4 Myths About Women That Just Aren’t True

As women, we hear a lot about what we should and shouldn’t do to our bodies. Drink this much water, take x-amount of these vitamins, or stay away from certain foods … it’s so confusing! What’s a girl to do? Can you get pregnant while you’re on your period? Do antibiotics decrease the effectiveness of birth control? An article on LiveScience debunks the rumors so we can finally get it straight. After the jump, check out four myths — and one truth — all women need to know.

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1. You can’t get pregnant while you’re on your period. False! It’s unlikely you’ll get pregnant, but it’s still a possibility. According to the article, you can ovulate during menstruation, meaning sex during your period is not fool-proof! Be careful.
2. Menopause decreases your sex drive. Nope! Other things caused by menopause, like hot flashes, may keep women from getting in the mood, but there is no direct link between menopause and sex drive. Don’t worry, ladies — your mojo isn’t going anywhere!
3. Antibiotics decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. Not really. Most antibiotics have no effect on birth control, according to the article. The one exception might be rifampin, a medicine used to treat tuberculosis.
   

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4. Women need more sleep than men. True! Women feel the effects of less sleep more than men do. The study found that women who didn’t sleep enough were twice as likely to get hypertension than women who snoozed the right amount. Men were not affected. So, men don’t need their beauty rest as much as women do? So unfair!
5. Your doctor can tell whether or not you’ve had sex before. Not a chance! People think the hymen is broken when you lose your virginity, when, actually, your hymen already has a hole in it. There is no way for a doctor to tell if you’re sexually active or not.