Comprehensive sex education is a dream that most do not receive, because in many states, students are taught abstinence-only education. This comes with oversimplications or just plain misinformation. This can be because of the narratives that the district wants to push or even because the curriculum is just out of date (the last update to the Pennsylvania standards was in 2002). It’s the same story; you get taught something from a young age, and you believe it to be a fact. Don’t believe me? How many of these myths did you believe?
- Intact Hymens are indicators of virginity
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Wrong! Hymens have absolutely no known use, and it’s definitely not to say if someone is a virgin or not. The hymen is a a piece of fleshy tissue located in the vaginal opening. This fleshy tissue can break for a large variety of reasons: sports, riding a bike, trauma, sex, etc. This is saying the hymen is complete at all, as many hymens have a hole or holes to let menstrual blood out. There is no proven way to test someone’s virginity other than asking, but even then, sex has a different definition to everyone.
- Testicles are the main producers of semen
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I bet you believed this one, but it’s actually the seminal vesicles. They produce 50% to 80% of the male semen, while also providing the fluid that keeps it alive long enough to enter the vagina. The seminal vesicles are located more towards the prostate. Similarly, the prostate gland creates 20% to 30% of the semen in the body. So, what about the testes? Well, they contribute maybe 5% of the total semen volume, so while they do contribute, it’s not the main producer.
- Oral and anal sex are “safe sex”
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This comes from the heteronormative idea that safe sex is sex that doesn’t result in pregnancy, so people think that oral and anal sex are safe because they don’t end in pregnancy. Both oral and anal sex have their own dangers, commonly STIs. Anal sex can lead to chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis, etc, and same with oral sex. “Safe sex” is really sex with consent and the usage of proper protection. Using a condom or a dental dam can drastically reduce risk for STIs.
- All high schoolers are having sex
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It’s easy to believe that most, if not all, high school students are having sex; in reality, only about 3 out of every 10 high school students have ever had sex. Movies and TV make it seem like all teenagers are having sex, and yes, the national averages on age have gone down, but the average age is 17.
- Abstinence-only education is the most effective form of sex education
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Now, you probably know this one, but the fear of teaching kids about sex will make them want to have more sex. In what universe is giving people less information going to help them make informed choices when they do decide to have sex? Students who are given a full well-rounded sex education have 50% lower rate of teen pregnancy than those who are given an abstinence-only education. Why? Because with abstinence-only education, many states do not cover birth control methods. In 2011, 55% of men and 60% of women reported getting a formal instruction on birth control, while in 1995, the rates were 81% and 87%.
- COndoms are the perfect protection
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I couldn’t figure out a better myth summary than this because there are so many condom myths that so many believe. Condoms don’t have expiration dates, but they do. Doubling up condoms adds extra protection, but don’t do that as it wears the latex down and makes them less safe. Condoms are only 98% effective, and that’s if you use them correctly. Make sure you are using the correct lubes for your condom type. Also, don’t let your partner tell you that they are uncomfortable or don’t fit, and make sure you always have one just in case. Condoms are important for safe sex.
- if women don’t orgasm during vaginal sex, something is wrong
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75% of women never reach orgasm with vaginal sex alone, and usually require a little assistance. Some people need more stimulation, like clitoral stimulation. Even then, 22% of women report that they have never experienced orgasm, and that’s fine. On average, women only orgasm 31-40% of the time. There’s nothing wrong with it, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with it.