Contraception, in one form or another, has been around since people first started getting busy. Yet despite the long-time use, there still tends to be a lot of confusion about options and how they work. Check out these common misconceptions about contraception so that you can enjoy sex worry free.

1. Pulling Out Works

It’s shocking that people still think that pulling out counts as birth control. It doesn’t work because before a man ejaculates, he releases pre-ejaculate, which contains sperm.

2. Condom Size Doesn’t Matter

Although condom size can make for a great joke, it really does matter. Not wearing the right sized condom can make them ineffective. For instance, a magnum size can slip off a man that isn’t actually magnum size and a regular size can tear off a man that should be wearing a magnum.

3. The Pill Makes You Gain Weight

With exception of the Depo Provera shot, science has yet to find a concrete link between birth control pills and weight gain. Some women do experience bloating or a change in appetite as their body adjusts.

4. If You’re Breastfeeding You Can’t Get Pregnant

If you’re breastfeeding only, without using formula at all, then your body suppresses the hormones that cause ovulation. However, this isn’t 100 percent and for women that supplement with formula, it’s not at all certain.

5. It’s Unsafe to Use the Pill to Skip Your Period

If you are healthy enough to use the pill, then you can skip your cycle. It won’t harm you, but you may experience some breakthrough bleeding.

6. Home Pregnancy Tests Aren’t as Accurate as a Doctor’s Office

Pregnancy tests all test for the same hormone. The main difference is following the directions. Also, if you test too soon, you could be pregnant but it won’t show up on the test. Both home tests and doctor’s offices rely mainly on urine, but at the doctor’s office there is also the option of having a blood test, which can detect pregnancy earlier than a urine test.

7. You Have to Have Kids to Get an IUD

Some IUD’s are easier to place once a woman has had children, but the newer devices are smaller and easier to place and don’t require a prior pregnancy.

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