TresSugar

Sex Myth: Men Want Sex ALL the Time

DearSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Where did we ever get the idea that men want sex MORE than women? While it's true that men might feel like it's cool to have as many sexual partners as they can get their horny little hands on, there's got to be women out there satisfying they're need too, right?

In my opinion, it all depends on personality, not gender. Some men don't want sex all the time, and some women can't get enough.

A woman could be sitting on the couch with her man watching TV. She'll reach over and gently rub his thigh, and he'll push her hand away and say "C'mon babe, I'm watching the game." How humiliating, not to mention frustrating!

This debunked myth is screwing things up (no pun intended). In order for a women to want to make love, part of her needs to feel wanted, to be chased, and sought after. So what's a girl to do if her guy has a low libido?

Want to find out, then read more

If you are feeling sex-starved and your man isn't in the mood, give these a try:

Surprise him by sneaking into the bathroom while he's taking his morning shower (and plan on being late to work)
While he is doing something like checking his email or watching TV, go over sit on his lap, and casually start kissing his neck. Some men can't resist a woman who initiates sex.
Plan a surprise massage. Set up blankets on the floor, candles, soothing music, and massage oil. Add some sweet kisses and I bet your massage won't last long...
Wear something you know he likes. This could be a special scent, dangly jewelry, high heels, a flirty skirt, or a t-shirt. It doesn't have to be a sexy g-string - not all guys are into that.
Give him a little space. If you are constantly trying to get it on and he's shooting you down, take the hint. Go out with your girlfriends, go for a run, let him be without you, and he'll be missing you in no time.
Talk to him about how you're feeling. Maybe there's a reason he's not feeling in the mood.

I hope this helps! Have any other ideas? Share them below.

Source

Fact or Fiction: Can You Spot the Sex Myths?

TresSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0700

From the truly absurd (you can't get pregnant your first time) to the more ambiguous (oral sex is less risky), sex myths abound. But y'all are smart, and can surely separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to the perils and pleasures of sex. Test your knowledge with my myth-versus-fact quiz.

Photo by Flickr User anomalous4

Take the quiz

Myths About the Pill: First Five

DearSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Just about every woman I know is on, or has been on, the pill. And even if it's not your preferred method of birth control, we can all agree on two things: it prevents us from getting pregnant, and it can regulate our periods. I'm sure you've heard other "facts" about the pill too, but not all of them are true. So here's a list of the top five myths about birth control pills:

The pill makes you gain weight: Some women may put on a few when taking the pill, but research shows that the pill isn't directly the cause. The estrogen contained in the pill can cause a bloated feeling, but not an actual weight gain. The progestin in the pill may increase a woman's appetite, so she'll eat more and gain weight, but it's because she's increasing her calorie consumption. The pill may also cause water retention, but switching to a lower dose pill often helps.
You should take a break from the pill once in a while: While it seems like a good idea to give your body a rest from the pill, it isn't necessary. Birth control pills are considered safe and they even offer you health benefits, such as a decreased risk of ovarian cancer if you've been on them for a while. In fact, occasional breaks can actually cause problems. Remember all the side effects you had when you first started the pill? Well, they're likely to show up again as soon as you go back on the pill - hardly sounds worth it to me.

To see the other three, read more.

The pill is not safe and it causes birth defects: Birth control pills are one of the most researched prescription drugs on the market. While it's true that there are health risks involved (just as there are with all drugs), overall, the pill is safe. There's no need to worry about it causing birth defects, even if you accidentally take the pill while being pregnant.
Long term pill use can affect fertility: The pill will prevent pregnancy while you're on it, but there is no connection between the pill affecting your future fertility. Once you do decide to stop taking the pill to have a baby, it may take your body some time to get back on its normal cycle. If a woman experiences problems conceiving after going off the pill, she may have always had a fertility problem but was unaware of it because she wasn't trying to get pregnant.
All birth control pills are basically the same: While it's true that all birth control pills have the same goal - to prevent pregnancy - there are hundreds of different kinds. Not only do they contain different combinations of medications, but some are estrogen-free, and some contain lower doses. Some will even prevent you from getting your period all together, and some can decrease PMS symptoms. A woman may have to try out a few types of pills in order to find the one that works best for her body.

Tune in tomorrow to see five more myths about the pill.

Source

Myths About the Pill: Last Five

DearSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0700

I hope I set your mind at ease by debunking the first five myths about the pill yesterday. If you've been waiting to hear more, check the last five:

Women who smoke cannot use the pill: It's a fact that if a woman smokes cigarettes and uses the pill, she has a higher risk of having a stroke or developing blood clots. If she's 35 or older, the risk is even greater. A doctor will not prescribe regular dose combination pills, but a woman who smokes can take lower dose hormones or estrogen-free pills instead.
The most risky time to miss a pill is in the middle of the pack: If you happen to miss a pill, the most risky time is actually at the beginning or the end of the pack. That's because a woman needs to take seven consecutive pills in order to prevent ovulation and it's actually possible to miss the next seven days without the risk of pregnancy. But if a woman misses pills toward the end of the pack, she may not have enough hormones inside her to prevent ovulation the next month. The bottom line here though is to try your hardest not to miss any pills.

To see the rest, read more.

The only use for the pill is as contraception: While the number one reason women use the pill is for pregnancy prevention, many women take it for other reasons. There are pills that clear up acne, decrease PMS symptoms, prevent cramps, and lighten menstrual flows, which helps to lower the risk of anemia. The pill can also protect against ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, osteoporosis, excess facial hair, and some types of migraines.
Women over 35 can't use the pill and teens need permission to get the pill: Age doesn't play into the equation, only health. If a woman has normal blood pressure and no increased risk of heart attack or stroke, then she can use the pill until she hits menopause. As for teens, they don't need permission from their parents to acquire the pill. If they choose to go on it, they only need to get a prescription from their doctor or a clinic.
The pill causes cancer: Actually, one-third of pill users are less likely to develop ovarian or uterine cancer as compared to non-pill users. The longer you use the pill, the more you are protected, and it's recommended to stay on the pill for at least five years to reap these benefits. Most experts agree that taking the pill does not cause any types of cancer, even breast cancer.

Source

Sex Myth: Day 14

DearSugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:00:00 -0800

If you are not on hormonal birth control such as the NuvaRing or the Pill, it's generally believed that all women ovulate on day 14 of their menstrual cycle. So if you got your period on the first of the month, you would ovulate 14 days later, on day 15. This rule is not necessarily correct for all women, and is based on the assumption that a woman's body follows a perfect 28-day cycle. We know this is not true for all women, and since ovulation can be delayed due to many reasons, including stress, this myth of Day 14 can cause many unwanted pregnancies.

How do you know when you're ovulating? To find out read more.

When an egg is released from your ovary, you'll notice a change in your cervical mucus. It will be very wet and have a clear, egg-white look and consistency. Your body creates this so sperm can swim easier and reach your precious egg. You may also notice mild cramping, breast tenderness, bloating, and an increased sex drive. Here's another cool thing - if you take your temperature every morning as soon as you wake up, you'll see a slight increase in temperature when you ovulate. Your cervix also changes position. It rises and softens when you're ovulating, due to the increase of estrogen in your body.

Since your cycle can be shorter or longer than 28 days, you can ovulate anywhere from day 10 to 18 of your cycle. You should also know that the day you ovulate is not the only day you can get pregnant. Since sperm can live up to five days inside you, you're actually fertile for about 11 days of your cycle.

Dear's advice: If you're trying to avoid getting pregnant, use a consistent and effective form of birth control and don't follow the Day 14 rule.

Source

Vampire Myths: Real or Fake?

TresSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:02 -0800

Vampire mania is in full force today as New Moon officially hits theaters. (Did you vote on our Edward or Jacob poll?) But before the Cullens there was Buffy, and before Buffy there was Count Dracula, and before Count Dracula there were the undead of folklore. I've gone back and investigated some of the more ancient vampire myths, and rounded them up in this quiz. You'll see that the history of vampires is more spooky than sparkly. Find out if you can spot the real myths from the fake!

Question 1 of 6

Fangs have always been a feature of vampires.

Bra-Burning Never Happened!

TresSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:24 -0800

Jessica Valenti, founder and editor of Feministing, recently told the New York Times Sunday Magazine bra-burning is a myth. This I did not know! She said:

"Bra-burning never happened. It was completely made up by the media. A couple of women protesting a Miss America pageant threw some bras into a garbage can, and somehow that became this longstanding idea of feminists as bra-burners."

We doubled checked, and Snopes - the Internet's definitive, if sadly designed, myth-busting site - confirms bra-burning never happened. Born out of the 1968 Miss America protest and the dissent du jour being draft-card-burning, a journalist, hungry for a headline, coined the phrase. However, NPR talked to Carol Hanisch, an organizer of the protest, last year and she said, "We had intended to burn it, but the police department, since we were on the boardwalk, wouldn't let us do the burning." Oh, well - maybe the next myth will be true!

Source: Flickr User (nz)dave

Truth or Myth? You Know When You Know

TresSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0700

When The Office's John Krasinski gushed at the Emmys about his recent engagement to Emily Blunt, he added support to the age-old dating adage: you'll just know when you've met the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.

John said:

"So many people say, 'You know when you know,' and it's true. It's all true."

If you plan on getting married some day, do you expect that it will be obvious that you and your partner are supposed to be together forever? What about those of you who are engaged or married: did you just know?

Sex Myth: You're More Fertile After a Miscarriage

DearSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700

If you're trying to have a baby, you may have heard that after enduring a miscarriage, your body is more fertile. Unfortunately, according to a recent article in The New York Times this is just a rumor. While it's true that your progesterone levels (the hormone that helps with pregnancy) are elevated, there's no evidence to support the notion that it can help you conceive any faster. What's more important is that you get back to your regular menstrual cycle, because as soon as you're ovulating again, you can try to get pregnant.

Miscarriages aren't the most pleasant topic, but it's important to know that they're actually fairly common, occurring in 30 to 50 percent of pregnancies. The reason we think they're uncommon is because most miscarriages occur early on, so early in fact that the woman doesn't even realize she's had one. The good news is that when a woman does get pregnant again, she only has a 2.25 percent chance of miscarrying again. The odds of a third miscarriage are less than one percent.

Keep in mind that starting a family can take some time. As the article notes:

Another study in The New England Journal of Medicine followed a large sample of healthy women seeking to conceive and found that of those who miscarried, 95 percent became pregnant within two years.

So if a little one is on your mind, try to be patient and have fun making it happen.

Source

Sex Myth: Tighter Means Better

DearSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:00:00 -0800

If you or your partner have ever thought that wearing condoms that fit tightly will prevent pregnancy better; that it'll stop sperm from getting out, you're wrong. This is a huge misconception, and could actually cause an unwanted pregnancy. You see if the condom is too tight, the friction of having sex could actually break the material.

Polyurethane and latex condoms are already 85 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, so if used correctly, you can't make them any more effective (unless you use them with another form of birth control such as the NuvaRing).

It's also important to remember that when a guy puts on a condom, he needs to leave a little space at the tip so when he ejaculates, there's room for the semen inside the condom. If it's is pulled on too tightly, it could get overstretched and cause the condom to break, or sperm could overflow out the top. Be sure to follow the directions on the box when using condoms, and make sure the guy always wears the correct size.

Source