Five Of Some Of The Biggest Sex Myths Exposed

When it comes to sex, the less you know, the more you’re at risk. Get the facts on 5 of some of the biggest sex myths out there.

Myth #1: You can’t get pregnant if you do it standing up.

Fact: Sperm are Olympic-class swimmers with a single-purpose mentality – find the egg and fertilize it.

The myth’s underlying assumption – that it’s harder for sperm to swim against gravity, making it more difficult for you to get pregnant – is wrong, says Aletha Akers, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

“Sperm can swim in any direction, and they swim pretty darn fast.”

Myth #2: You can’t get pregnant if he pulls out.

Fact: You’d think that if a guy doesn’t ejaculate inside you, there would be no sperm to hook up with the egg. Wrong.

Men produce a tiny bit of liquid called “pre-ejaculate” that’s teeming with sperm.

They can release it any time during sex without even realizing it.

Even if your partner pulls out right before ejaculation, he’s probably already deposited sperm, Akers warns.

Myth #3: Douching is the best way to keep clean down there.

Fact: About 20%-40% of women douche – and half do so weekly.

But the best way to keep your down region clean is to leave it alone, gynecologists say.

“People think it’s like cleaning any other part of your body, but your vagina has its own self-cleaning mechanism,” Akers explains. “It produces its own fluids that help to wash things out while also keeping the right bacteria around in the right proportions.”

Homemade or store-bought douches (usually solutions of water, vinegar, baking soda or iodine) upset the vagina’s natural bacteria balance and increase the risk for yeast and other vaginal infections.

Because douching can push bacteria from the vagina higher into the reproductive organs, it may also contribute to pelvic inflammatory disease, a major cause of infertility.

Myth #4: Bigger is better.

Fact: Some women have definite size preferences, says Carol Queen, Ph.D., staff sexologist at the online sex toy boutique Good Vibration.

But a huge package doesn’t automatically translate into mind-boggling sex. In fact, women complain more often that their partner is too big, not too small, sexperts say.

“There’s more to erotic pleasure than size,” Queen says. “It’s about how a guy uses his hands or mouth or how sexy a woman feels before she gets to the bedroom.”

If you want something bigger, your partner can wear rings or sleeves that add length and girth.

And do Kegel exercises as well. They’ll tighten your pelvic floor muscles and let you “adapt to whatever size partner you have.”

Myth #5: All women can experience orgasm just through vaginal penetration.

Fact: Only about 20%-30% of women experience orgasm through intercourse alone, so don’t be shy about reaching down and giving yourself a hand or a buzz.

“Putting your hand on your clitoris during sex really ups the chances that you’ll have an orgasm,” Queen says.

Culled From http://www.lifescript.com/life/sex/nookie/biggest_sex_myths__exposed.aspx