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15 Old Wives Tales About Sex That You Shouldn't Believe

by Jill Di Donato

When it comes to your sex life, people always have something to say about it. And many times, the person in question is sharing old wives tales about sex that you shouldn't believe but do, which can cause even the most sex-positive woman to doubt herself. Why? Because myths about sex are so prevalent in culture. Sex and anything to do with it is so prevalent in culture. Huffington Post noted that people think about sex all the time. And a lot of that thinking can be misinformed.

Why old wives tales still exist is a good question. Who are these old wives and where do they get their intel? It seems like their tales are meant to ruin your sex life or lower your IQ or any understanding of sociology and the Sexual Revolution.

Though I wasn't alive to experience the Sexual Revolution, PBS noted that it was a time when gender roles were questioned (and, in many cases, reversed), women gained mainstream access to birth control, and many Puritanical values about sex were deemed outmoded. Still, many people, included these so-called old wives, did not catch on. So, they continued to spread their tales about sex that you shouldn't believe because, not only are they limiting, they're just plain wrong. Curious to know what sex myths persist? Peruse the following and test your sexual wellness IQ.

Myth #1: You Can Lose Your Virginity To A Tampon

No. The intactness of your hymen does not indicate your sexual status. Especially if you're a pre-teen gymnast, dancer, horseback rider, or just like doing splits. And using a tampon may or may not break your hymen, according to Kids Health. Additionally, Fox News noted that virginity testing by physicians is under ethical scrutiny by the medical community. So please put this old wives tale to bed.

Myth #2: You Reach Your Sexual Peak At 28

Come again? Dr. Marc Goldstein, a professor of reproductive medicine and urology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center told Women's Health that women have no set sexual peak. Now, come again.

Myth #3: Women Are Wired For Monogamy, But Men Aren't

Psychologist Deboarah Anapol told Men's Health that this old wives tale is a pure social construction and a biological fallacy. Who knew? "Women are heavily socialized to restrict their sexual attraction to one guy at a time," she said. "But women's biology and personality are both well-suited to multiple partners—more so than men's." So, if you don't feel like being tied down, you're just following your biological impulse.

Myth #4: If You Don't Have Multiple Orgasms, You're Sexually Inhibited

Men's Health pointed out that every woman orgasms differently. Because of this nugget of wisdom, you should remember that this old wives tale can actually work against your secondary orgasm. Psychologist and sex therapist Barry McCarthy told Men's Health in the same article that when you set a performance goal during sex, it's more likely that you won't achieve it. If anything is inhibiting your performance, it's probably other people's judgement.

Myth #5: You Want A Big, Er, "Package"

In the same article, Anapol told Men's Health that a big penis and a small vagina do not a happy couple make. When it comes to size, compatibility of anatomy is a better judge of pleasure. It also helps if a man knows how to work with what he's got. Am I right?

Myth #6: Condoms Take The Pleasure Out Of Sex

You might know they're necessary for safe sex, but you might not know that condoms can make sex more pleasurable, according to ABC News. Additionally, a study by Luckybloke.com that reported that most men pick the wrong size condom. With the right size, and the right lubrication, sex with condoms is pleasurable in more ways than one. Plus, how hot is it to know that you're taking care of your body?

Myth #7: You Need Intimacy For Better Sex

McCarthy told Men's Health that the opposite is true. In fact, too much intimacy might cause the spouse to de-eroticize the partner. While this might not hold true for everyone, it's good to know this old wives tale is definitely a myth for some women.

Myth #8: Women Are Less Interested In Sex Than Men

Mic reported that women want sex just as much, if not more than men do. The same stressors (work, finances, relationships) that inhibit a man's sexual desire are likely to make women less hot to trot, Anapol told Men's Health. The fertility awareness app Kindara researched women's sexual needs and concluded that over 52 percent of the 1000 women surveyed want more sex in their lives.

Myth #9: Men Are Intimated By and Jealous Of Vibrators

Psychologist Debby Herbenick told Women's Health that men are not only are turned on by the idea of using a toy, but enjoy the vibrations of a toy on their penis and other areas. It doesn't hurt to ask your partner's preference before you bust out a toy in the middle of your sex session, but chances are he'll like it.

Myth #10: Women Don't Like Porn

Certified sex educator and author Lou Paget told The Guardian that porn can be a source of information for men and women about many things sexual. And Alternet reported that according to Nielsen ratings, in 2007, almost 13 million women watched porn on a monthly basis. That was almost a decade ago. Just saying.

Myth #11: You Can't Get Pregnant On Your Period

Although this doesn't happen regularly, Dr. Sherman Silber, director of the Infertility Center in St. Louis, told Women's Health that you can get pregnant at any stage of your menstrual cycle. Why? Sperm can live up to a week inside your body.

Myth #12: The G-Spot Isn't Real

You know it's real because you experienced something particular from your own body. So, who cares what society has to say about it? If you'd like to know how to locate your G-spot, feel around your vaginal wall for ridged tissue, noted Cosmopolitan.

Myth #13: You Can't Get An STD In Water

The opposite of this old wives tale is true, so try not to do it in a hot tub. Women's Health noted that because water washes away your natural lubricant, and heat and chlorine can make condoms ineffective, if you have sex in water with an infected partner, you're more likely to sustain micro-tears in your vagina. It's through these little tears that bacteria and viruses can enter your system.

Myth #14: Masturbation Can Make You Blind

Although you might not lose your sight, your eyes might roll to the back of your head with pleasure. To debunk this old wives tale about the dangers of masturbation, in 1972, the American medical community declared in the publication Human Sexuality that masturbation carries zero health risks. Just make sure you clean your sex toys on the regular, and you can enjoy yourself all you want.

Myth #15: Your Vagina Can Get Stretched Out From Too Much Sex

Remember that your vagina is a muscle, or rather an organ made up of many muscles (have you been doing your Kegels?) so it's designed to tighten and loosen for sex, masturbation, and childbirth. According to Psychology Today, you can't get "loose" from too much sex, or even giving birth. In fact, anxiety and arousal are more likely to control the tightness of your vagina. In the same article, it's noted that the more nervous or anxious you are, the tighter your vagina will become. Conversely, the more aroused you are, the more elastic-like you will become down there.