PRINTSex myths busted
13 lingering questions finally answered
April 26, 2007 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Ever hear that Mountain Dew slaughters sperm or that oysters can turn you into a sex deity of Casanova proportions? Voxis here to set the record straight. We’ve rounded up eight experts, from doctors to dieticians, to answer 13 of your most burning questions about the ins and outs of humanity’s favorite pastime.
Will eating oysters or other so-called aphrodisiacs really make people horny?
Some foods, such as bananas and asparagus, have taken their place in the hall of sex legends because of their, uh, suggestive shapes. Others, such as oysters, have at least some basis in science. Research shows that oysters contain two amino acids known to trigger the release of sex hormones in rats.
So far, few have addressed whether these compounds create sex magic when people eat them. Registered dietician Melinda Hemmelgarn says aphrodisiac foods work because people believe they do. “Your perception is your reality,” she says. “Experts say the brain is the biggest sex organ.”
Does it hurt to have sex with piercings … down there?
Relax. The rings and barbells used in genital piercings have rounded edges and shouldn’t cause genital skin to tear, and rarely do piercings get pulled or ripped out during sex. Some claim they make sex more pleasurable for both partners though that’s a matter of opinion.
Condoms, however, might not fare so well. Both male and female genital piercings, especially the larger gauge sizes, could pop a condom if partners aren’t careful. “I mean, it’s a giant hunk of metal, it could probably cause a tear,” says Gabe Garcia, tattoo artist.
Will Mountain Dew, laptops, tight briefs, pot smoking or a swift nut kick kill a guy’s “lil’ buddies”?
PepsiCo denies that the dye FD&C Yellow No. 5 in Mountain Dew kills sperm, and the FDA says it’s safe for human consumption. On the other hand, drowning oneself in caffeine seems to lower sperm counts and make sperm less mobile, according to reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Danny Schust.
Tight briefs and laptops could kill sperm in theory by raising testicle temperature, Schust says. The testes need to be kept a few degrees cooler than the rest of the body to produce sperm properly. Anything that raises their temperature too long, from having a high fever for a few days to running a marathon, can fell a guy’s white warriors.
Smoking pot won’t kill sperm; it just makes them lazy.
As for a kick to the family jewels, “It’s probably no big deal unless you actually get a testicular rupture,” Schust says. “A general kick out on the football field isn’t going to do it.”
How many men really need XL condoms?
It comes as no surprise, but more guys probably buy extra-large condoms than really need them. According to Durex product information, standard condoms roll out to 7 inches and can stretch to safely accommodate a manhood larger than that. At around 8 inches before stretching, Durex’s XXL condoms could wrap up porn star Ron Jeremy.
Sexuality educator Sari Locker says the average penis expands to 5 or 6 inches fully erect. So why do so many men buy extra-large condoms when few men in the U.S. have a penis larger than 8 inches? When it comes right down to it, they just might be buying them for the box, Locker says.
Is it OK to drink a small amount of alcohol while pregnant?
A pregnant woman should never drink alcohol — not even a glass of wine with dinner — according to Dr. Elizabeth Barlet, an OB-GYN. Even a small amount can have dangerous consequences for the unborn child. “There is absolutely no safe time, amount of alcohol or type of alcohol to drink during pregnancy,” she says.
Drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which affects one to two out of every 1,000 births, causing such birth defects as growth problems, facial abnormalities and even mental retardation. Barlet stresses that these effects are permanent and cannot be reversed.
Does the pill cause an increase in weight or decrease in sex drive?
Nurse practitioner Lynn Fair says in general birth control pills do not cause weight gain. “Girls tend to start taking the pills when they’re still developing,” she says. “Or sometimes they’re just taking in too many calories.” The pills become a scapegoat to explain the extra pounds.
Contraceptive pills can dull sex cravings, Schust says. When a woman reaches peak fertility during ovulation, her sex drive also hits a high. These peaks diminish when she goes on birth control. “Some of the overwhelming urges you might get at that time go away,” he says.
Can a woman’s eggs be frozen for later?
Doctors can put eggs on ice, but the technology is still in its infancy, Schust says. Eggs pose a greater challenge to freeze than sperm or embryos because they have more cytoplasm, the jelly-like fluid that makes up the majority of a cell in which damaging ice crystals can form, rendering the eggs unusable.
To preserve an egg, doctors soak it in a solution that protects it both from the formation of ice crystals and from swelling with water and bursting. Then they dunk it in liquid nitrogen where it chills out at minus 178 degrees Fahrenheit until the owner decides to retrieve it. Doctors have reported a few pregnancies from iced eggs.
Does eating certain foods when you’re pregnant give your child allergies?
Columbia/Boone County Health Department nutritionist Erin Harris says that pregnant women don’t need to restrict their diets to avoid giving their baby an allergy. So far, most studies show that an expectant mother’s diet will not sensitize the baby’s immune system to peanuts or any other food.
Anyone can develop a food allergy, but genetics set the odds. Having one allergic parent doubles a child’s risk of getting a food allergy. If both parents are allergic, the risk quadruples, according to the International Food Information Council.
Can a woman get an epidural if she has a back tattoo?
Women with inked lower backs can still have an epidural to alleviate the pain of childbirth, according to Boone Hospital Center anesthesiologist Dr. Nila Gupta. If a woman has a tattoo in her lower lumbar region, the doctor will simply find a small patch of undyed skin to insert the needle.
A tattoo that leaves no bare skin for the needle could be a problem. “The stability of the ink is unknown,” she says, adding that unstable inks might hitch a ride on the needle into the spinal canal with unknown consequences. Gupta says that in 25 years, she has never seen a woman with a back tattoo she couldn’t work around.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of circumcision?
For such a small flap of skin, the foreskin sure has ignited a lot of controversy. Opponents of male circumcision say the surgery can traumatize an infant and dull his ability to feel sexual pleasure when he grows up. Supporters contend that circumcised men are healthier and enjoy sex just as much as uncut males.
Most researchers agree that making the cut doesn’t change a guy’s sexual performance or sensitivity to pleasure. There might even be health benefits. Clinical trials in Africa suggest that circumcised men are less than half as likely to contract HIV as men with their foreskins intact. These findings have prompted health officials in New York City, which has high rates of HIV and AIDS, to consider a campaign encouraging at-risk men to get circumcised. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that a circumcised male is 10 times less likely to develop a urinary tract infection in his first year of life and three times less likely to develop penile cancer as an uncut male; however, these conditions are rare in the first place.
Are kids going through puberty earlier? Why?
Yes, children are going through puberty earlier, Schust says. He estimates that at the turn of the century, girls began developing breasts as early as 9 to 10 years of age. Now, it’s normal to expect breasts as early as 8 years.
Some people fear that steroid growth hormones found in conventionally raised cattle are to blame. Schust says childhood obesity more readily explains the phenomenon. “There’s a critical mass of body fat you need to reach to go through puberty,” he says. Children are going through puberty earlier because they’re reaching that key amount of body fat at an earlier age.
Is PMS a Western phenomenon?
No woman can escape the clutches of premenstrual syndrome; East or West, they all ride the monthly hormone roller coaster to hell. The Western way of snarfing down high-fat, sugary foods while sitting in front of the boob tube can make PMS symptoms worse. Getting plenty of exercise and eating a healthy diet helps control them. “You’re going to have more of a problem with PMS if you sit on your ass eating bonbons,” Fair says.
Researchers don’t know exactly what causes PMS, but Schust says hormones and neurotransmitters appear to play a role. Drugs that suppress the hormones estrogen and progesterone alleviate PMS symptoms. Antidepressants that regulate the neurotransmitter serotonin, such as Paxil and Prozac, also banish PMS symptoms — even the bloating.
Do vegans go through menopause later in life?
Diet has no effect on the timing of menopause according to Barlet — it’s all about the number of eggs a woman has left. From day one a female has a finite number of follicles, each carrying an egg, in her ovaries. As she gradually uses up her stock of follicles with each menstrual cycle, estrogen production drops off.
Once her estrogen level drops low enough, she starts experiencing hot flashes, irritability and all the other symptoms that make menopause so much fun.
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