Tuesday, 20 October 2009

  • 5 Health Myths about the Female Body

    5 Health Myths about the Female Body

    Think you know all there is to know about the female body? Think again!

    Here are a couple of myths about the female body - and the truths behind them all.

    1. Myth: A woman cannot get pregnant during her period.

    The Facts: While it is difficult for a woman to concieve during menstruation, it can still happen. Once inside, sperm can live up to a week waiting for an egg.


    2. Myth: Menopause causes a woman's sex drive to deteriorate.

    The Facts: Studies have shown that about half of women in their 50's have sex several times a month. While hot-flashes may make women going through menopause "not in the mood," there has been no direct link between menopause and a loss of sexual desire.


    3. Antibiotics cause birth control to be unreliable.

    The Facts: Birth control fails 1% of the time, and that does not change while you are on antibiotics. Of course, there are exceptions. Someone I know is on a pill for acne, and the dermatologist told her that you cannot take birth control and the acne pill (which is an antibiotic pill) together, otherwise the birth control wont be effective.


    4. Myth: Men and women need the same amount of sleep.

    The Facts: A lack of sleep not only causes women more psychological distress, it also raises their insulin and inflammation levels. A study of more than 6,000 participants, led by researchers at the University of Warwick in 2007, found that women who slept five or less hours a night were twice as likely to suffer from hypertension than women who slept for seven or more hours. Among men, there was no such relationship.

    5. Myth: A doctor can tell if a woman is a virgin.

    The Facts: It's not as simple as looking for a hole in the hymen, because there is always a hole in the hymen no matter if you are a virgin or not.


    Did you know all there is to know about the female body? Do any of these myths/truths surprise you?

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Comments (45)

  • discover_hienie@xanga

    haha number 3 and 5 never heard about..wow very interesting! i never knew that doctor could tell if you are a virgin or not.. ppl can barely even tell
  • ShimmerBodyCream@xanga

    This was dumb.
  • floater4589@xanga

    I've read over and over again that sperm live about 72 hours, not a week.
  • Erika_Steele@xanga

    I agree.  This was dumb.  I hate when people report  studies that imply a correlation without citing the primary (as in the scientist that did it) source.  There were so many reasons that the women in that study could have been more stressed that has nothing to do with the amount of sleep they get.  Being the primary caregiver for children (husband included), elderly parents, on top of having a job could be one of those factors.
  • almostp3rf3ct@xanga

    hey hun hope all is well<3 love the post:)
  • Myteggya@xanga

    @ShimmerBodyCream@xanga - I agree.

  • methodElevated@xanga

    Yes, please cite sources for credibility.
  • Lil_Firefly_25@xanga

    I know all of this, LOL
  • oXSweetAviators@xanga

    @discover_hienie@xanga - They can't.  That was the myth
  • theonlytimes@xanga

    #3 is WRONG. EVERY antibiotic i have ever taken has had a warning about possibly making birth control unreliable, and every doctor who has prescribed it to me has said the same. ANY medication can interfere with oral birth control. 
  • InsaneAnd7teen@xanga

    Still not sure about #3
  • whitetrashpoet@xanga

    Rifampin is proven to interfere with birth control (an antibiotic).

    Menopause may not actually reduce libido, but it often causes vaginal dryness, pain with sex, etcetera, which could cause a lack of interest.
  • raspberryjade@xanga

    interesting list.
  • Keeping__Karma@xanga

    I knew most of these, but it's true that certain antibiotics can cause the Pill not to work.  My doctor, however, is always kind enough to warn me if the said risk applies with an antibiotic she prescribes me.

    And, last I heard, sperm can only live in a woman's vag for three days.
  • nimbusthedragon@xanga

    @ShimmerBodyCream@xanga - Agreed. 


    Plus,  I like how the only "myths" mentioned are those which tend to enforce all the wrong sorts of stereotypes about women.  Even if you claim this is to mythbust them, the mere fact that they are mentioned reinforces the idea that these are the only things people think about when conceptualizing women in general... eg:


    1) Oh shit, I don't wanna be a babydaddy


    2) Oh shit, thank god because women are useless without a sex drive


    3) Oh shit, I don't wanna be a babydaddy


    4) This would have been interesting, if it hadn't just further reinforced the "if women don't sleep, they get psycho!" thing.


    5) What the fuck!?  How is that even relevant?  Are we living in tribal Africa?  Are we to stone a woman who isn't?


    Am I delving too deep?  Maybe.  Are these lists pointless and degrading?  Definitely.  Am I a feminazi?  Not even.  Just a woman sick of generalizations.

  • salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga

    Could we have relevant myths about the female body broken? I mean, considering the fact that women don't know and aren't allowed to know more about their bodies, you'd think these lists would be more useful and in depth. This is just same old, same old. 

  • pinkdagger@xanga

    @nimbusthedragon@xanga @salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - Agreed.
    None of that surprises me, I knew it already. Part of me was hoping to see something about cleanliness since it's such a huge concern for people, and what it does to affect self worth and esteem for women to consistently believe their body is dirty and something to be ashamed of. I'm a little disappointed because, in my opinion, these myths/facts are pretty trivial. It's sad that this kind of stuff isn't already common sense because we're told such a skewed reality of "normal", but I guess we really are repressed in our own disgusting, severely misunderstood female bodies.

    In regards to 1, it's not so much the longevity of the sperm (a week is pushing it, that would require some pretty special circumstances), but a woman's cycle. Someone who has a short cycle may begin a new cycle while she's still on her period from the last one. While it's less likely because she's not at the peak of fertility like during ovulation that often sits smack dab in the middle of ending and starting a new period, it doesn't mean she's infertile the rest of the time and essentially one could get pregnant anytime - it's the likelihood within the point of a woman's cycle that stacks up for or against it, as mentioned in the link.

    In regards to 5, while it's obviously true, I think it needs some elaboration. The state of the hymen is different for all women, and not all women already have holes in them, and some aren't born with hymens at all. Something as simple as this can back it up. And when engaged in intercourse of any kind, there is no guarantee that insertion will tear the hymen or even change its state. Let's say someone has a "normal" hymen - arousal allows the genital area to expand and lubricate in biological preparation for sex. Nothing says that will automatically tear the hymen, and if it does, it will likely still be intact to some degree. The hymen can also break while doing exercise and stretching without any sign. For anyone to claim a doctor can take a look at the state of one's hymen and say "yes you're a virgin" or "no you're not" is just dumb, but people won't realize it until they understand why.

    I think if you're going to mythbust, simply declaring what is supposedly fact from myth doesn't cut it. People won't learn anything if there's no elaboration and explanation behind it.
  • WhenHateIsTheOnlyOption@xanga

    I always thought a woman can get pregnant during her period because it was during the process.......


    I know it said it can happen but I didn't know the rumor was it couldn't happen.

  • enterthelabyrinth@xanga

    You are wrong about #3. Antibiotic therapy (most) cause a decrease in efficacy of the birth control. You CAN get pregnant more often while on antibiotic treatment and birth control. It DOES effect it. So do many other drugs. Don't give information that is incorrect. Know your stuff first.
  • EgoOverdose@xanga

    Most of your supposed facts = myths.


    :/
    Disappointing.
  • mewithoutu77@xanga

    i don't think i know all there is to know about my body but i know my body enough to know when something's changing or isn't right.
  • mTs@lovelyish

    it was good to read. nothing negative here.
  • xraindropsonroses@xanga

    :( Disspointing.
  • lesprit__descalier@xanga

    after skipping some sleep time to catch up on xanga posts, i'm going to bed RIGHT NOW after reading #4.
  • LoveYouToDeath16@xanga

    @ShimmerBodyCream@xanga - You are just as dumb. Now let's have a pointless argument over nothing like you love to do yaaayyyyyyy!!!

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