Along the line you might have had your own fair share of sex myths and their effects on health, especially during adolescence years. Funny enough, some of these myths persisted well into adulthood, affecting your relationship and sexual lives.

MYTHS: When did you pop your cherry?

You’ll go blind if you masturbate; and you have to put your sex life on the back-burner if you are to win at next month’s sports event. Very sure these phrases sound  quite familiar.

The truth of the matter is that we’re better off without sex myths and below is how they were debunked.

MYTH: Menstruation as ultimate baby barrier

Truth: Another favorite piece of sex lore is that women can’t get pregnant if they have sex while on their period.

 It’s true that this scenario is highly unlikely, but even so, the possibility of pregnancy isn’t fully eliminated.

The likelihood of becoming pregnant after period sex, depends largely on how long your menstrual cycle is. In most women, the menstrual cycle lasts for approximately 28 days. Usually, 3– 5 of those days are taken up by their period, during which unfertilized eggs and uterine lining are eliminated.

Women are most fertile during the ovulation stage of their menstrual cycles, when fresh eggs are produced. Ovulation usually takes place about 12 to 16 days before the start of the next period.

Some women, however, have shorter cycles, which means that their ovulation stage also happens earlier.

That, coupled with the fact that sperm can live inside the human body for up to 5 days, means that if the timing is right, sperm could hang out inside the female body for just long enough to survive the period, and penetrate a fresh egg.

So, if you do plan to ease those menstrual cramps by having sex, you may wish to consider using a condom.

MYTH: It’s not an orgasm if it’s not vaginal.

Truth: A lot of people are stuck with the idea that a woman’s orgasm is purely a vaginal experience, achieved through penetration.

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for achieving orgasm especially, as majority of the ladies require clitoral stimulation in getting to the sweet spot.

As penetration doesn’t cut it at all, clitoral stimulation alone is their stairway to heaven. In fact, according to Essentials of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, of the women who reach sexual climax, 25 percent achieve orgasm with penetrative sex, and 75 percent needed extra clitoral stimulation. It is one reason why both men and women would do well to learn as much as possible about their bodies and that of their lovers, to understand what makes them tick individually.

MYTH: Masturbation is bad for you.

 Truth: There are actually a number of myths related to masturbation- that it can make a man go blind, it can lead to erectile dysfunction, and  can cause sexual dysfunction in women.

No need to fret as masturbating won’t hurt you; and you may want to take your sweet time while you’re at it.

There is absolutely no link between your genitals and your eyes. So, you won’t lose the gift of vision just by exploring your nether bits sometimes. Specialists to a large extent, had argued that there’s no such thing as masturbating too often, and that it actually brings a plethora of health benefits that includes released tension, eased menstrual cramps and a roadmap for the body.