Myths About Sex We Learned from Pop Culture (Or Elsewhere)

Malcolm Misir
19 hours ago
5 min read

Popular culture, television, and movies often focus on the culturally “taboo” topics, such as sex. For example, in the movie Mean Girls, Coach Carr teaches sex education, stating, “Don't have sex, because you will get pregnant and die!” While most adults understand that this is a funny line about abstinence, some viewers may believe this as true or misunderstand the joke.

Similar instances may result in some wildly incorrect theories that many people believe or take at face value. You may have heard myths about how to prevent pregnancy, different sexually transmitted infections (STIs), or other stigmatizing assumptions about sexual behavior. The Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) is here to set these rumors straight.

Myth: Certain Positions or Situations Will Not Result in Pregnancy

Several users of Reddit have posted questions or stories about themselves or people they know in regard to commonly believed “methods” for preventing pregnancy without any sort of contraception or birth control.

Having sex in the shower, hot tub, or pool. The general consensus is that having hot, chemical-filled water in and around a vagina will prevent sperm from travelling as far as the cervix and uterus. It will be killed or “cleaned out” before it gets that far. This is not true.
Having sex standing up or with the female partner “on top.” The assumption here is that gravity will make it harder for sperm to travel upwards. Again, this is untrue.
A woman’s first sexual debut with penetrative intercourse will not result in pregnancy. The truth is that any woman of reproductive age can become pregnant with unprotected sex.

Although nobody knows how these assumptions started, it can be confirmed that any sexual position or situation could result in pregnancy. Additionally, anatomy is not black-and-white when it comes to vaginal positioning or natural douching of semen, therefore, biology is not on your side in these cases.

Myth: There are Other Effective Methods of Contraception Besides Barrier Methods and Hormonal Birth Control (and related)

Not much media discusses other forms of contraception besides condoms (until recent years). There are other barrier methods available, as well as hormonal birth control in a variety of forms.
One Redditor revealed she had a friend who believed that if she had sex with a sheet in between her and her partner, that she could not become pregnant. A sheet has microscopic holes in it that microscopic sperm can travel through. Additionally, this will not prevent against STIs as well as true barrier methods (like condoms).
Another myth is that “the pull-out method” is a reliable form of contraception. Pre-ejaculate may contain sperm, and it is also difficult for many people to control their orgasm and ejaculation in an effective manner.
Redditors across sexual health advice subreddits pose questions about how effective their emergency contraceptive was, usually stating they had taken multiple. Emergency contraceptive is only effective when taken prior to ovulation in a menstrual cycle. Additionally, it is not advised to take more than one of these in a short period of time, as this may offset your menstrual cycle, leading to more worrying.
Some people may believe that Mountain Dew will reduce one’s sperm count and be a good form of contraception. This came from a theory that Yellow 5 food dye could cause infertility. You’re safe to Dew but continue to practice safe sex.

Myth: Vaginal Sex and Penetration Are the Only Way to Have Sex and Experience Sexual Pleasure for Both Parties

There are many different ways to be sexually active that do not involve penis-in-vagina sex. Did you know that most women often need extra stimulation of the clitoris and other erogenous zones to reach orgasm? Or that men may require longer periods of stimulation to become aroused and orgasm than a female partner? It’s important to have open discussions with a sexual partner about likes, dislikes, and needs if you want all parties to be satisfied with the experience.

Myth: STIs are Easy to Spot and You Could Die from Them

In Mean Girls, Coach Carr also says, “But if you do touch each other, you will get chlamydia... and die.” It’s safe to say that most of the time, sexual activity does not result in death. However, the lesson is important, having safe sex and keeping up with STI testing is important for sexual health.
While some STIs do have visible symptoms like bumps or rashes, most of the time they go undetected. It’s important to pay attention to bodily fluids and smells to catch any sort of infection.

Myth: STIs are 100% Preventable

People may also believe that you cannot get an STI when you have anal or oral sex, or that condoms prevent STI transmission at a rate of 100%. Oral and anal STIs do exist, so it’s important to get tested frequently and use barrier methods like condoms and dental dams. However, it should be noted that even these have a small chance of being ineffective.

It’s important to get STI testing every 6 months if you’ve had any unprotected sex, and if you have multiple partners. Yes, even if you don’t have any signs or symptoms – most STIs do not have symptoms.

Key Takeaways

There are many falsities and misconceptions surrounding sexual activity in popular culture and media. This may come from something a parent said to scare you, a movie, TV show, or a joke that spread too far. It’s important for sexually active individuals to practice safe and protected sex, stay informed about sexual health, and always speak with a sexual health professional if they are concerned about their sexual health.

Resources

Dienberg, M.-F., Oschatz, T., Piemonte, J. L., & Klein, V. (2023). Women’s orgasm and its relationship with sexual satisfaction and well-being. Current Sexual Health Reports, 15(3), 223–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-023-00371-0

Garcia MR, Leslie SW, Wray AA. Sexually Transmitted Infections. [Updated 2024 Apr 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560808/

Higuera, V. (2018, December 6). Does Mountain Dew Kill Sperm: Myth or fact?. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/does-mountain-dew-kill-sperm

Ishak, R. (2022, January 14). 33 people share common (but wildly untrue) sex myths that are still, for some reason,

believed. BuzzFeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/ravenishak/sex-myths

Meston, C. M., & Stanton, A. M. (2019). Understanding sexual arousal and subjective–genital arousal desynchrony in women. Nature Reviews Urology, 16(2), 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-018-0142-6

Paramount Pictures. (2004). Mean girls. Hollywood, CA.

Walsh, T. L., Frezieres, R. G., Peacock, K., Nelson, A. L., Clark, V. A., Bernstein, L., & Wraxall, B. G. D. (2004). Effectiveness of the male latex condom: Combined results for three popular condom brands used as controls in randomized clinical trials. Contraception, 70(5), 407–413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2004.05.008