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Pregnancy / Contraception / Birth Control: Fact vs. Fiction

Please don't shop until you drop

THE department store Harvey Nichols is experiencing an unusual phenomenon: heavily pregnant women loitering for hours on the shop floor.

They are not at its Edinburgh branch for a burst of last-minute shopping before the baby pops out. They are there because they have heard that if they go into labour on the premises they will be awarded £500 in gift vouchers.

It is a rumour thought to have spread in antenatal classes. So potent is it that women have even found time to stop off at Harvey Nichols on the way to the maternity ward. One called the store from her car on the way to hospital.

Fiona Kinnaird, the sales manager at the Edinburgh store, said that many staff had been approached by pregnant women asking them if the rumour was true.

She said: “Just before Christmas I watched an expectant mother loiter around the store to the point where I thought she was going to shoplift.

“She came up to me and asked if the rumour was true. I wasn’t sure so I told her to call head office. Since then I have noticed other heavily pregnant mothers-to-be hanging around the store.”

Although staff have repeatedly tried to scotch the rumour, the surge of women skulking about the shop waiting for their waters to break has become a problem.

It is now feared that a woman will end up giving birth in the store.

A Harvey Nichols spokesman said that staff were worried because although they had trained first-aiders, no one knew how to deliver a child.

“We do have first-aiders on site but they aren’t trained in childbirth so we’re concerned about this rumour,” he said “We have even had a bizarre phone call from one woman as she was lying in the back of a car on the way to hospital asking about the vouchers.” The spokesman said that Harvey Nichols did not reject the possibility of giving out vouchers, but only if it were not the woman’s sole aim for being in the store.

He said: “If a woman does go into labour we would consider giving her some vouchers if her intentions were not for it to deliberately happen in our store.”

Sandra Getty, 34, from Glasgow, who is expecting her first child on April 7, said that she was tempted to make the trip to Harvey Nichols.

She said: “I’ve heard you get a present at Marks & Spencer and also Mothercare. Imagine what you could buy with £500 of Harvey Nichols vouchers.

“I think it is a great idea and really fun and I would seriously consider going along around the time when I’m due.”

Mothercare, where a woman has actually given birth, and Marks & Spencer said that they did not have a policy on gifts but it was up to the discretion of the store manager.


www.timesonline.co.uk

I can only find this by a search and don't have a url for it.
 
I've heard a similar rumour in the last week. Apparently, if a woman's waters break in Asda, she is awarded a year's free nappies. :lol:
 
I was always told you get a hamper from M&S if your waters break there. Mine broke at the hospital and I got a baby, if that counts.
 
What happens if your water break when your in the head office of 'Claims Direct' and then give birth due to the shock of slipping and falling in the same waters?

Do you get vouchers to sue themselves and STILL get 100% of what you are awarded?

I think we should be told!
 
Coke not the real thing when it comes to contraception: study
http://www.physorg.com/print148804096.html
December 18th, 2008

The belief that Coca-Cola works as an after-sex spermicide is nothing but urban legend, a scientist cautions in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on Thursday.

Deborah Anderson, a professor in obstetrics and gynaecology at Harvard Medical School, says that Coca-cola douches were sometimes used in 1950s and 1960s America in the belief that the drink's acidity killed sperm.

Soft-drink douches are still used as a post-coital contraceptive ploy in some poor countries, she says.

But, says Anderson, there is no evidence to suggest these unusual forms of contraception work -- and plenty of reasons to suggest they could cause harm.

To begin with, Coke is not a very effective spermicide, as it is unlikely to kill the target.

And even if the beverage's secret recipe were lethal, a speedy sperm is likely to outswim the douche and get to cervix first.

In addition, Coca-Cola damages the top layer of cells within the vagina, and makes a woman more prone to sexually transmitted disease. And while it is largely harmless to sperm, soda pop removes healthy bacteria, opening the way to fungal and bacterial infection.

Experiments with other forms of vaginal douches have found an increased risk of pelvic inflammation and ectopic pregnancy, in which a fertilized egg is implanted in the fallopian tube, rather than in the uterus.

Finally, says Anderson, there is the simple fact that there are much more effective and easy-to-use methods of contraception widely available.

Anderson also said there was a reason why she had gone into print.

An old study by her research group, on the impact of Coca-Cola on human semen, had recently been resurrected and had won a spoof Nobel prize, or IgNobel, for offbeat science.

She was afraid that the headlines surrounding this award may have repopularised the legend.
Click to expand...
 
If anyone wants any pregnancy rumours scotched / confirmed ask me.....

Mrs Carlos is a senior lecturer in Midwifery!
 
My mum works at a junior school and was present whilst they gave the oldest year their sex education classes. One little boy, very earnest, was writing copious notes on the subject so mum went over to check what he had written. No one knows how he got this information but he had written down that for one baby, the man leaves his penis in the woman for ten minutes and for twins it's 25 minutes!!!

It's become a standing joke in their staff room ever since. Although a lot of the teachers have had babies, no twins yet, so no way of testing the theory LOL
 
Ah, leaving it in . . .

A friend assures me that her first date was romantic but not at all experienced. They made love on a beach, which sounds very pleasant.

The following is more or less what she told me:

"He managed - with some help - to get it in. Then he lay inert on top of me for ten minutes or so, gazing into my eyes and sighing romantically. When he felt enough time had passed, he tucked it back neatly in his trousers. I felt it would somehow have broken the spell to have instructed him further."

Not going for twins then?

Her tact was a beautiful thing, I think, in the circumstances.

That lad must never have seen a film made after 1960! :)
 
Two stories on contraception myths.


Contraception myths 'widespread'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8238789.stm

By Sudeep Chand
Health reporter, BBC News

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.


MYTHS THAT STILL EXIST
Chicken skin and cling film as barrier methods
Kebabs, crisps and chocolate as oral contraceptives
The pill as protection against HIV
Source: 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."

Alarming
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 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."
Click to expand...


20 Birth control myths

1. Douching with any substance after intercourse does not work as a contraceptive and does not prevent pregnancy.

2. It is not true that a female cannot become pregnant after her first sexual intercourse.

3. It is not true that a woman cannot get pregnant during her menstrual period. It is true that a woman is usually less fertile for the first few days of menstruation - but less fertile does not mean not infertile.

4. Sexual intercourse in a hot tub or swimming pool does not prevent pregnancy.

5. There is no sexual position that prevents pregnancy. Some sexual positions may encourage pregnancy. Having sex standing up or with the female on top does not prevent pregnancy.

6. Urinating after sexual intercourse does not prevent pregnancy.

7. Toothpaste does not prevent pregnancy and should never be used as a contraceptive.

8. It is not true that if the man does not ejaculate the woman cannot get pregnant. There is a risk of pregnancy as soon as vaginal penetration by the penis occurs.

9. Breastfeeding is not a 100% sure way of not getting pregnant. It is true that breastfeeding significantly reduces the chance of becoming pregnant.

10. If the woman does not have an orgasm it does not mean at all that she cannot get pregnant. The risk of becoming pregnant is there as soon as vaginal penetration by the penis occurs.

11. Jumping up and down or placing seeds inside the vagina will not stop pregnancy occurring after intercourse.

12. Drinking a lot of milk does not prevent pregnancy.

13. If the male drinks a lot of alcohol pregnancy is not prevented.

14. Two condoms are not better than one. In fact, the friction between the condoms may cause them to tear more easily.

15. Waiting until the next day to take the morning-after- pill does not make it more effective. It should be taken as soon as possible. The emergency contraceptive pill can be used up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. However, it is 95% effective during the first 24 hours, and goes down to 60% by 72 hours.

16. It is not true that the morning-after pill (emergency contractive pill) can only be used two or three times a year. It should be reserved for emergencies and should not be used as a regular contraception method. However, it can be used when necessary.

17. A tight condom does not reduce the risk of pregnancy. If anything, a tight condom has a higher likelihood of tearing.

18. It is not true that condoms can get lost in a woman's body.

19. Plastic wraps or balloons are not alternatives to condoms. Condoms are designed to prevent pregnancy and have a very high success rates. Other products are not and have a much lower success rate at preventing pregnancy.

20. Whether or not the sexual partners love each other makes no difference to the likelihood of pregnancy. It is a tragic myth to think that if you don't love him you won't get pregnant. Unfortunately, this myth still exists among a few very young women in some parts of the world.


What Is Contraception? What Is Birth Control?


Contraception is the use various devices, drugs, agents, sexual practices, or surgical procedures to prevent conception or impregnation (pregnancy). Contraception helps women plan if and when they want to have a baby. The condom is the only current contraception device that helps protect sexual partners from STIs (sexually transmitted infections).

Birth control involves one or more actions, devices, sexual practices or medications followed to intentionally prevent or reduce the likelihood of pregnancy or childbirth. The three main routes of birth control to prevent or end pregnancy include contraception (the prevention of fertilization of the ovum by sperm cells), contragestion (preventing the fertilized egg from implantation - morning-after-pill), and the chemical or surgical induction of abortion of the developing embryo/fetus. The term emergency contraception is often used instead of contragestion.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary:

Contraception means "Prevention of conception or impregnation"

Birth control means "1. restriction of the number of offspring by means of contraceptive measures; 2. projects, programs, or methods to control reproduction, by either improving or diminishing fertility."
Below is a list of the most common types of contraception:

Traditional birth control methods
Celibacy or sexual abstinence - this means avoiding penis-in-vagina intercourse to prevent pregnancy.

Withdrawal (coitus interruptus) - when the man is about to have an orgasm he pulls his penis out of the vagina. The ejaculation occurs outside of the vagina. The idea behind this method is that no sperm will be deposited in the vagina. According to some organizations this method is about 90% effective if used correctly. Typically, though, about one third of couples who use this method will experience an accidental pregnancy within twelve months.

Modern birth control methods
Male condom - this device is a mechanical barrier which prevents pregnancy by stopping sperm from entering the vagina. It should be placed over the penis before sexual intercourse begins. They are made of polyurethane or latex. Male condoms look like long thin deflated balloons. As well as preventing pregnancy, they are also useful in helping protect sexual partners from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Female condom - made of polyurethane. The female condom has a flexible ring at each end - one secures behind the pubic bone to hold the condom in place, while the other ring stays outside the vagina.

Spermicides - may be placed in the vagina before intercourse and create a chemical barrier. Spermicides may be used alone, or in combination with a physical barrier.

Contraceptive sponge - The contraceptive sponge has a depression to hold it in place over the cervix. Foam is placed into the vagina using an applicator. As well as having a spermicidal which destroys the male sperm, the sponge also acts as a barrier which stops the sperm from reaching the egg.

Diaphragm - fits into place behind the woman's pubic bone and has a firm but flexible ring, which helps it press against the vaginal walls. It is a rubber dome-shaped device which is placed over the cervix. When combined with spermicide use the diaphragm is a very effective contraceptive device.

Cervical cap - fits over the cervix and blocks sperm from entering the uterus through the external orifice of the uterus, called the os. The cervical cap is a thimble-shaped latex rubber barrier device. A spermicide should fill about 1/3 of the cap. The cap should then be carefully positioned in the vagina, covering the cervix. The cap stays in place by suction.

The Lea contraceptive - this is a soft pliable cup-shaped bowl with a loop. It is inserted into the vagina before intercourse and prevents sperm from entering the cervix. To be effective it must be used with a spermicide and left in place for 8 hours.

The Pill - combined contraceptive pills have two hormones - an estrogen and progestin. They stop the release of the egg (ovulation), and also make the lining of the uterus thinner. When used correctly about 3 in every 1,000 women will become accidentally pregnant in the first year.

Contraceptive patch - a transdermal patch applied to the skin. It releases synthetic estrogen and progestin hormones. They have been shown to be as effective as the combined oral contraceptive pill. At the moment (September 2009) the only available contraceptive patches are Ortho Evra, marketed in the USA by Ortho-McNeil, and Evra sold in Canada by Janssen-Ortho and in the UK by Janssen-Cilag. The "Patch" is worn each week for 3 consecutive weeks, generally on the lower abdomen or buttocks. The fourth week is patch-free.

Contraceptive vaginal ring (NuvaRing) - NuvaRing is the trade name for a combined hormonal contraceptive vaginal ring manufactured by Organon. It is a flexible plastic (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer) ring that releases a low dose of a progestin and an estrogen over 3 weeks. The woman inserts the NuvaRing into the vagina for a 3-week period, and then removes it for one week, during which she will experience a menstrual period.

Contraceptive injection (The Shot) - Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is a progestin-only long acting reversible hormonal contraceptive birth control drug which is injected every 3 months. It stops the woman from releasing an egg and provides other contraceptive effects. Depo-Provera is the brand name.

Implants - Implanon (made by Organon International) is a rod with a core of progestin (etonogestrel). It is inserted under the skin of the upper arm of a woman. The progestin is released slowly. The implant is effective for 3 years.

Emergency contraception (emergency postcoital contraception) - this refers to contraceptive measures that, if taken after sex, may prevent pregnancy. They include:

Emergency contraceptive pills - often referred to as emergency contraceptives or the morning-after pill. They are drugs that prevent ovulation or fertilization and possible post-fertilization implantation of a blastocyst (embryo). Emergency contraceptive pills are different from medical abortion methods that act after implantation (when the fertilized egg is implanted in the womb).

Intrauterine devices - usually used as a primary contraception method, but may be used as emergency contraception.
Emergency contraception is intended for occasional use, when primary contraception means fail. As emergency contraception acts before implantation, most people see it as a form of contraception. However, as the egg may have already been fertilized, some see this as a potential abortifacient (a substance that induces abortion).

Intrauterine device (IUD) - a small, flexible T-shaped device that is placed in the uterus by a physician. It is also known as a coil. IUDs are currently used by about 160 million women, most of them in China. It stays in place the entire time pregnancy is not desired. Depending on the type, an IUD can last from 5 to 10 years. The copper T 380A has been shown in trials to be effective for at least 12 years.

Male contraceptive pill - they are not currently (September 2009) on the market, although several forms are in various stages of research and development.

Tubal ligation - a permanent form of female sterilization. The fallopian tubes are severed and sealed (pinched shut) in order to prevent fertilization.

Vasectomy - a surgical procedure designed to make a man sterile. The right and left vas deferens - the tubes through which sperm pass into the ejaculate - are cut or blocked. Although a vasectomy is sometimes reversible (vasovasostomy) the likelihood of an abundance of abnormal sperm is higher, resulting in lower fertility. The higher rates of aneuploidy and diploidy in the sperm cells of men who have undergone vasectomy reversal may lead to a higher rate of birth defects.

Written by Christian Nordqvist

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162762.php
Click to expand...
 
This story was told to me by a friend a while back, though it does sound painfully like a FOAF tale so lets just assume it is.

He claimed that he was chatting with a chap who had Down Syndrome and the conversation came round to the chaps girlfriend who he had been seeing for a while. When asked if they were using contraception, the chap proudly announced that they used a condom every time, and that every time they had sex, he put it on the broom handle and left it in the corner of the room just like they showed him at the workshop. o_O

Has anyone heard a similar story?
 
AFAIK and in my experience, info for some groups is made explicit not implicit, often to the anger of those on the receiving end. I wouldn't be surprised if the level of detail + pictures + enforced questions afterwards isn't the result of such a FOAF tale amongst the professionals, rather than being indicated by a genuine assessment :)
 
Sadly, I think it's plausible. I've heard similar. Like the college student couple described in a book on fertility I read. They were using the advanced method of natural family planning/fertility awareness - the version where you measure and chart everything and avoid sex or use additional contraception on risky days or, if you're trying to conceive you go at it like rabbits!

They went for the follow up appointment with the instructor who'd explained it. They had all the charts neatly worked out. The instructor asked what they did on fertile days. Turns out they didn't change a thing as they thought the plotting and measuring was somehow protective o_O

These stories are just plain sad though. Women who believed they were still virgins when they gave birth. Horrible lack of sex education responsible. (Many more examples in the comments)
http://jezebel.com/nearly-1-of-women-claim-they-were-virgins-when-they-ga-1485703976
 
The version I heard (sometime in the 80's) was ... health workers visited an African village to teach the local men how to put condoms on, demonstrating this with bits of wood. They returned but found the child birth rate had strangely increased. On asking the village men why, the men all dutifully rolled the condoms over their bits of wood ..
 
These stories are just plain sad though. Women who believed they were still virgins when they gave birth. Horrible lack of sex education responsible. (Many more examples in the comments)
Click to expand...

Those are weird, though I wonder what proportion were technical virgins?

I know that ideas of what's considered safe or low risk activity in terms of infection have changed since I was a teenager, particularly in relation to foreplay - I'm less sure how that sits in relation to risk of pregnancy and what the chances are of enough sperms finding their way up there indirectly?
 
From some of the examples none of them were technically virgins - although defining virginity is a whole other thing and almost impossible! I would say in all likelihood they had all had penetrative sex. I'd imagine in extreme cases they could have dissociated from it following trauma but in the majority I think they just didn't understand the terminology and logistics. One example, I think in the comments on the link, was where a very religious girl showed up with her parents and the symptoms matched pregnancy. She insisted she wasn't pregnant as she'd never had sex. A nurse questioned her alone a little more and it emerged she thought sex was: "something only married people do". She wasn't married therefore she couldn't have had sex. When the nurse explained the process she said that yes, she and her boyfriend did do "that".
 
One of my dogs once cut his foot badly and the vet told us not to get the dressing wet. I hit on the idea of covering the dressing with a condom and then wrapping it in plastic so I could walk him. *

As I had 4 kids aged about 11-16 I decided to demonstrate the correct condom application method by carefully unrolling it onto Rocky's foot.
They all watched carefully, then declared that they now knew all about safe sex - you just need a dog handy... :D

*Edited highlights of quite a long story: available on demand.
 
Please tell us the rest of the story about your rubber johnny footed dog escargot1 :)
 
Working with teenagers, I can assure you that there are a lot of misconceptions (!!) regarding contraceptives. One girl seriously believed she couldn't be pregnant as she had had sex standing up....
 
Works the other way, too: Masters and Johnson interviewed a couple who couldn't understand why they couldn't conceive since they slept together every night. Turned out that was all they were doing: just sleeping.
 
OneWingedBird said:
Those are weird, though I wonder what proportion were technical virgins?

I know that ideas of what's considered safe or low risk activity in terms of infection have changed since I was a teenager, particularly in relation to foreplay - I'm less sure how that sits in relation to risk of pregnancy and what the chances are of enough sperms finding their way up there indirectly?
Click to expand...


A friend of mine got pregnant without having actual sex, just foreplay.
 
Using an oral contraceptive, often referred to as “the pill”, gives long-term protection against womb cancer and the longer it is used the greater the reduction in risk, scientists said on Wednesday.

In an analysis of all available evidence, the researchers said an estimated 400,000 womb cancer cases had been prevented by use of the pill in wealthy countries the past 50 years, including some 200,000 in the last decade.

“The strong protective effect of oral contraceptives against endometrial cancer – which persists for decades after stopping the pill – means that women who use it when they are in their 20s or even younger continue to benefit into their 50s and older, when cancer becomes more common,” said Valerie Beral, a professor at Britain’s Oxford University who co-led the study.

“Previous research has shown that the pill also protects against ovarian cancer. People used to worry that the pill might cause cancer, but in the long term the pill reduces the risk of getting cancer.”

For their study, published in The Lancet Oncology journal, Beral’s team pooled data on 27,276 women with endometrial cancer in 36 studies from North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa — using virtually all the epidemiological evidence ever collected on the effect of oral contraceptives.


Read more at http://newsdaily.com/2015/08/contra...-womb-cancer-study-finds/#qXjA7AStGGG8b4tX.99
 
I LOVE the Pill. Worked well for me and suited me. Never had a problem with it.
 
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