All over the world, sexual myths are sold to people, mostly the younger generation who might be naive about sex in general. Some of these myths are harmful, and some of them are not.
However, they’re very restrictive and relate a lot more to the women, because sometimes woman’s value is tied to sex in this part of the country.
This in itself is very harmful as we have seen efforts to censor the information that the girlchild has access to so that she is ‘pure’ and well-groomed for her husband’s home. There is also the need to restrict how she explores her sexuality so she is not ‘morally loose.’
Here are some of the popular sexual myths in Nigeria and if they are true in reality.
In Nigeria, there is a misconception around how ‘tight a woman’s vagina should be’. Virgins are supposed to have tight vaginas and promiscuous women have loose ones because they have frequent sex. This is false. Women, like men, come in different sizes. It is very important to understand that the muscles around the vagina are elastic, meaning it naturally contracts and resumes its normal size and shape, both after sexual intercourse as well as childbirth.
There are various versions of this told to young girls to make them want to have unprotected sex. The concept of having sex ‘standing up’ comes off the fact that if the sex is a little less comfortable, then there is a high likelihood that there will be no pregnancy. This is not correct. There is a chance a woman will get pregnant if she has unprotected sex, whether it is done sitting, lying on one’s back or standing.
It is believed that if you have sex in a pool or underwater, the sperm will be washed away and killed. This is false as having sex in water isn’t a determiner for whether there would be a pregnancy or not.
Nigeria, like other parts of Africa, has a very weird love for female virginity and it stems off the poisonous patriarchy. It is no wonder that a woman’s honour is attached to her virginity and as such, her hymen (a thin membrane that partially covers the entrance of the vagina) should be intact until sex. However, the hymen can also be broken through inserting tampons, physical activity, gymnastics, sport or sex toys.
No amount of local gin will prevent an unwanted pregnancy. Whether it is taken before, during or after sex, it does absolutely nothing. It is advised that you make use of some form of birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancies instead.
The pull-out method is generally one of the most unsafe methods and works best when used with another method. Once a man starts to get aroused, there is precum/pre-ejaculate which is released. This fluid has sperm cells as well which can make a lady pregnant.
The fear of pregnancies has made some people wear two condoms in the hope that all the risks of pregnancies will be eliminated. However, using two condoms can cause friction, weakening the material and increasing the chance that the condoms might break. This will increase the chances of pregnancy.
A lot of young girls believe there is something that makes them immune from being pregnant the first time they have sex. This is very wrong. There is every chance of pregnancy occurring the very first-time sex occurs.
It is believed that when you jump after sex, you shake off absolutely everything thus making your body immune pregnancy. This is false. Instead, make use of a reliable birth control method.
Studies have shown that masturbation has helped people discover what their sexual preferences are. It is also safe and a natural way to release any sexual tension. Like every other thing, it should be done in moderation and it is not harmful as it is rumoured to be. It is also a good way to know what works for you when it comes to sex.
More myths are passed on to young people and it is only right that these are debunked. We need to ensure that the right type of sex education is taught to have a healthy sex life.
This post originally appeared on the Love Matters Africa website. Do you have any other questions we can answer? Leave a comment below, or get in touch with us on our Facebook pages for Africa and Nigeria. The Health section of The Rustin Times is a collaboration with Love Matters Naija.
