BY JOANNA C. VALENTE
So, women are supposed to be experts in all things feminine related, right? Wrong. Most women are completely ignorant about their bodies, and that's a crying shame. Sometimes, the facts women receive themselves are outdated, which perpetuates false knowledge that people build their entire lives around. For example, the idea that one in three women ages 35 to 39 will not become pregnant after a year of trying is based on French birth records from 1670 to 1830. The world has changed since then.
We all need tried & true facts sometimes, especially when it comes to our bodies. Living in such a fast-paced environment means the more you know, the less mistakes you make. And let's be real: no one wants a human sized mistake.
Here are some facts that every woman should live by:
1. You're only fertile for a week each month. So, try to get to know that week, okay?
Most of us, long after our silly & fuzzy days of high school, still believe that if you have sex at any given time, it can lead to pregnancy. This is half true. Of course, the female body is mysterious and anything can happen. However, the reality is: you're only fertile for a week, which is usually before ovulation. Of course, to make matters more confusing, every woman ovulates at a different time.
If you have absolutely no idea how to calculate when you are at your most fertile, use these guides, and of course, speak to your doctor:
2. You don't have to use tampons OR pads. Get a diva cup like the little tramp you are.
If you're confused about how it works, go the website. The diva cup is great, because it's all natural and reusable. What's not to love?
If you're one of the many women who can't use tampons and hate the way pads feel, this could turn into a great alternative--no more diapers and no risk of TSS!
3. IUD's are a great alternative to oral birth control. They also last for up to ten years.
If you don't know much about IUD's, Planned Parenthood has this helpful guide, which gives you the answers to all of your questions from where to get them to what the advantages & disadvantages are.
4. Most women actually lose their eggs from ages 30-35, not dramatically after age 35.
Most people assume the opposite, which is detrimental to family planning, whether you want children or not. According to a study headed by David Dunson of Duke University:
"[I]ntercourse two days before ovulation resulted in pregnancy 29 percent of the time for 35-to-39-year-old women, compared with about 42 percent for 27-to-29-year-olds. So, by this measure, fertility falls by about a third from a woman’s late 20s to her late 30s. However, a 35-to-39-year-old’s fertility two days before ovulation was the same as a 19-to-26-year-old’s fertility three days before ovulation: according to Dunson’s data, older couples who time sex just one day better than younger ones will effectively eliminate the age difference."
Basically, this means, anyone who tells you that you must decide whether or not you should have children the second you turn 30 is wrong.
5. There's a sponge for that. Instead of pills, you can use a sponge as contraception.
You might be thinking: how does this work and is it effective? It works by inserting into the vagina before intercourse and contains spermicide, thus blocking sperm from entering the uterus. In terms of effectiveness, women who have never given birth who use the sponge correctly, about 9 out of 100 will become pregnant; conversely, for women who have given birth, about 20 out of 100 will become pregnant.
For more information, check Planned Parenthood. Images courtesy of here.
Editor’s Note: This article appeared on the old Luna Luna site.