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Common Myths about Sex
Melissa Eirich, M.D.
The following information is from emergency room physician Dr. Melissa
Eirich. Having spoken to numerous patients with STD’s and victims of
sexual abuse, Dr. Eirich shares some common misconceptions and myths
that have led to the need for medical treatment.
- "Safe Sex."
Using a condom during sex is not "safe". It does help to decrease
the transmission of some STDs but there is still a risk. In practice,
condoms fail to prevent pregnancy as much as 20% of the time. Condoms
only cover the penis and don't protect you from herpes lesions or
genital warts. Condoms have not been proven to decrease the risk of
gonorrhea, syphilis, Hepatitis B or trichomoniasis.
- "Oral sex isn't sex."
Oral sex IS sex. You can give and get the same STDs from oral sex
that you get from sexual intercourse. Not only that, you can get genital
herpes from someone who performs oral sex on you and has a cold sore.
Studies show that 25% of the population has oral or genital herpes.
You can also get gonorrhea infections in your throat.
- "All of my friends are doing it."
The number of teens choosing abstinence is growing, especially in
males. In 1990, 39.2% of male teens were abstinent, in 1997 that increased
to 51.1%.
- "You can't get pregnant when you are using birth control."
Even if you use a condom EVERY time you have sex, 20% of the time,
it will not prevent pregnancy (that's about 1 in 5 odds). Even birth
control pills have a failure rate of 5% and that is when you take
them every day as prescribed.
Based on typical condom use (and that includes using a condom EVERY
time you have sex), a 15 year old teen has a greater than 50% chance
of getting pregnant (or getting a girl pregnant) by the time they
are 20. These are the same odds as flipping a coin.
- "There is nothing wrong with being a single parent."
When compared to married women, woman who just live with a man (cohabitate)
have more problems with drugs, alcohol, depression and sexual faithfulness.
The non-married women also have more violence ( two to five times
greater) in the home and their kids are more likely to be beaten or
sexually abused. Unmarried women are four times more likely to be
beaten by their boyfriends than a married women by her husband.
- "STDs won't happen to me."
When someone is diagnosed with gonorrhea, it must be reported to the
County Health Department. Monroe County has one of the highest rates
of gonorrhea not just in New York State but in the entire country
as well. The United States has the highest rates of STDs in the industrialized
world.
| In 1997, the number of cases of
gonorrhea in Monroe County (per 100,000 people) |
282
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| In 1997, the number of cases of
gonorrhea in New York State (per 100,000 people) |
110.5
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| In 1997, the number of cases of
gonorrhea in the United States (per 100,000 people) |
129.9
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The most common STDs for teens (age 15-19) and young adults (ages
20-24) are chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis (the rarest of the three).
Active STD infections can increase the likelihood of contracting HIV
if left untreated.
If you have sex with someone who has gonorrhea, you have up to a 50%
chance of getting the disease. Most people with an STD don't even
know they have one, so they also don't know when they pass it on.
About 75% of ALL gonorrhea cases are from people between 15 and 29
years old.
- "STDs can be cured."
Not all STDs can be cured. HIV/AIDS can't be cured and still has a
death rate of 100%. Genital warts can't be cured. The warts can be
cut or burned off but they still continue to come back and grow. The
genital lesions caused by herpes return again and again. Some studies
show that you can give or get herpes even when you don't see any lesions.
- "Monogamy is safe."
True monogamy is safe, but true monogamy means having one sexual partner
for life - not one every six months. Most people practice "serial
monogamy" which means they are faithful to their current sexual partner.
However, when you have sex with them, | you are having sex with everyone
they've had sex with and everyone those people have has sex with and
so on.
- "You can't go back to holding hands."
Just because you've has sex in the past doesn't mean that you can't
become abstinent now. All it takes is knowledge and a commitment.
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