Contraception

[divine]

Originally Posted by BBC

A UK survey has revealed that myths about contraception may be widespread.

One in five women said they had heard of kitchen items, including bread, cling film and even chicken skin, being used as alternative barrier methods.

Others had heard food items such as kebabs, Coca-cola or crisps could be used as oral contraceptives.

The survey questioned 1,000 women aged 18 to 50 and was carried out by market research company Opinion Health, sponsored by Bayer Schering Pharma.

Contraceptive myths have been around for thousands of years.

Ancient methods have varied from crocodile dung and honey before sex, to sea sponges and beeswax after.

Perhaps the most intoxicating was alcohol made from stewed beaver's testicles.

However, it seems that a variety of unsafe and unproven methods might still exist in modern Britain.

Dr Annie Evans, Women's Health Specialist at the Bristol Sexual Health Centre, said: "It is not surprising, given that Britain continues to have the highest unintended pregnancy rate in Europe."


Other myths surround the use of oral contraceptive pills. One in 10 of the women questioned believed that it always takes a number of years to regain fertility after discontinuation of the pill. Others believed that the pill could protect them against HIV.

Professor Steve Field, Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, commented: "This is alarming but not surprising.

"I've had complications with patients over the years that have concerned me.

"The more we can put appropriate information to the public about the availability of different methods of contraception, about their advantages and disadvantages, the better.

"It is important that access to advice is made as easily as possible for all ages."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8238789.stm

I really hope some of those answers were people having a laugh, surely people can't actually genuinely believe these things?

[Fayshun]

Me and Lom have tried them all, they all work.

*notices 3 kids*

Oh hang on....

[Knipples]

My Mum is a health visitor and she went to see a new mum once who had just given birth to her 3rd child. She was 22. They were chatting and the girl said something along the lines of "None of them were planned." My Mum asked had they not been using contraception, and the girl replied with

"I dont know what keeps going wrong, I take the pill, if we have sex on a Tuesday I take a Tuesday pill, and if we have sex on a Friday I take a pill for Friday"

And she wondered why she had 3 children?

[TinkerBell]

LOL! What an IDIOT! Maybe this explains why there are so many young mom's. That is just mad.

[Knipples]

Originally Posted by TinkerBell

LOL! What an IDIOT! Maybe this explains why there are so many young mom's. That is just mad.

Needless to say my Mum told her how to use the pill correctly. It is mad you're right, and quite sad too that nobody had told her/she hadnt read the instructions herself.

[karbon]

you mean bread doesn't work? damn.....

[Desmo]

As they always say, there's one born every minute

[Muban]

Either people were having a laugh or maybe there are concentrated pockets of extreme ignorance and stupidity which the people who did the survey came across?

Seriously, how can anyone of even basic intelligence think rubbish like that is true? ....and as for chicken skin as a barrier method *shudders*


*shudders again*

[Feek]

I remember someone at work being convinced she couldn't get pregnant because she was breast-feeding.

Oh how we laughed when she gave birth nine months later.

[divine]

I just read it back and noticed the way it was worded.

'had heard of'

I suppose technically 'heard of' is very different to 'believe'.

All of us in this thread have now heard of someone taking the pill by specific days. That doesn't mean we all think it is a valid method of contraception...