2 October 2007: Curious Myths

After today's ten o'clock International News there will be a feature on Sexual Health, so on that theme here are the results of a UK survey that asked teenagers how they could avoid starting a pregnancy. The results included some very strange ideas. And, for the avoidance of doubt, not one of these is true.

Some respondents relayed some old myths that everyone should know to be false. For example:

• You can reuse condoms, and if you don't have a condom, Clingfilm or a crisp packet will be just as effective;

• You can’t get pregnant if it's your first time; and

• You can’t get pregnant having sex standing up.

Some showed imagination, but are equally inaccurate, including:

• Jumping up and down after sex stops you getting pregnant; and

• You won’t get pregnant if you 'wash' afterwards with coca cola.

And some are so weird it's hard to imagine how anyone could have thought of them. For example:

• A boy is only fertile if his testicles feel cold; and

• You can’t get pregnant if you have sex in a boat.

If you thought any of those to be true make sure you listen in at ten o'clock today.