Myth: You can't get pregnant while using birth control
While birth control methods of all kinds have incredibly high success rates, even when a patient complies perfectly, there is still about a one percent chance of pregnancy. Yes, this is incredibly low, but the rate increases when the birth control method is not followed exactly. "The IUDs and implants have the lowest failure rates (0.05-0.8 percent), the pill, patch and vaginal ring all have similar failure rates (about 9 percent) and the Depo-Provera shot is a little better with a failure rate of about 6 percent," explains Hunter. "I know these numbers may look frightening but these numbers are no reason to overlook birth control altogether."
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Myth: Birth control will lower your ability to become pregnant in the future
If you've heard this going around the rumor mill, don't give it any attention. Being on birth control does not decrease your fertility, however other factors, including age, do. Therefore, if you've been on birth control for the majority of your child-bearing years, yes, your chances of becoming pregnant are lower than they were when you first got on birth control, however, it is by no means due to being on birth control. "One of the ways birth control works is by putting your ovaries to sleep (for lack of a better way of explaining it) and preventing ovulation (the release of eggs for fertilization)," explains Hunter. "Most women return to fertility rather quickly, within a matter of months (with the exception of the Depo-Provera shot, which may take even longer), after getting off birth control."
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Myth: You can't get an STD on birth control
Birth control does a great job of preventing pregnancy but has no involvement in preventing sexually transmitted diseases. For this reason and many more, practicing safe sex is a must to ensure you're healthy. "You also need to use a barrier method (such as condoms) to help prevent against sexually transmitted disease," says Julia Kavanagh, M.D., Internal Medicine Physician at UCHealth. If you haven't been tested, or have recently been with a new partner, consider scheduling an appointment with your OB/GYN or primary care provider.
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Myth: You can't get an IUD or implant if you've never had a baby before
"LARC, Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives, which include the IUDs and implant, are the most effective forms of reversible birth control currently available to women, but they are severely underutilized, with only 11.6 percent of women using them," says Hunter. "Although this number increased 2.4 percent from 10 years earlier, it is still staggeringly low." One of the reasons for this low number is because of provider discomfort during placement, but the majority is due to lack of understanding on the patient's part, she says. "Many patients think they have to have had a baby before to be able to get LARC, but this is not true."
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Myth: IUDs cause infection
In rare cases, some people may experience infection upon placement or long after. "One recent study did find that women with IUDs are slightly more likely to have bacterial vaginosis, or BV, but not because of the IUD," says Rebecca Levy-Gantt, MD, OB/GYN, at Premier ObGyn Napa Inc., in Napa, California. "It is likely because they are not using condoms because they are not worried about pregnancy." If infection occurs, it's best to treat the infection with the IUD in place, rather than remove it.
