Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-03T00:50:04.507Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

2 - Mythsand misconceptions about sex and con(tra)ception

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2013

Paula Briggs
Affiliation:
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust
Gabor Kovacs
Affiliation:
Monash University, Victoria
John Guillebaud
Affiliation:
University College London
Get access

Summary

Sexuality in all times has been surrounded by myths and misconceptions that reflect sexual norms and values of that specific time and culture. The majority of these myths and misconceptions stem from norms, values and beliefs aimed at controlling sexuality, women's sexuality in particular. Masturbation in women was regarded as an even graver problem, mainly because from the Middle Ages onwards women were seen as 'raging volcanos of desire' because of the semen sucking capacities of their uteri. With regard to combined oral contraceptive (COCs), the most important myth is that there are serious health risks associated with long-term use and that, therefore, one should not take the pill for too long a period. The most striking myths and misconceptions about sexuality are remnants of the long-lasting denial of the importance of arousal for sexual functioning of women and of bizarre post-Freudian concepts of infantile and adult sexual functioning.
Type
Chapter
Information
Contraception
A Casebook from Menarche to Menopause
, pp. 8 - 17
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×