Myths About Sex & Pregnancy

References

Men with big feet have bigger penises

1.	Cobb, J., and D. Duboule. 2005. Comparative analysis of genes downstream of the Hoxd cluster in developing digits and external genitalia. Development 132 (13):3055–67.
2.	Edwards, R. 1998. “Definitive penis size survey (2nd).” http://www.sizesurvey.com/result.html (Accessed March 31, 2008).
3.	Furr, K. 1991. Penis size and magnitude of erectile change as spurious factors in estimating sexual arousal. Annals of Sex Research 4 (3):265–279.
4.	Gebhard, P., and A. Johnson. 1979/1996. The Kinsey Data: Marginal Tabulations of the 1938–1962 Interviews Conducted by the Institute for Sex Research. Reprint Edition ed. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.
5.	Lee, P.A. 1996. Survey report: concept of penis size. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy 22 (2):131–35.
6.	Shah, J., and N. Christopher. 2002. Can shoe size predict penile length? BJU Int 90 (6):586–87.
7.	Siminoski, K., and J. Bain. 2004. The relationships among height, penile length, and foot size. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment 6 (3):231–35.
8.	Spyropoulos, E., D. Borousas, S. Mavrikos, A. Dellis, M. Bourounis, and S. Athanasiadis. 2002. Size of external genital organs and somato-metric parameters among physically normal men younger than 40 years old. Urology 60 (3):485–89.

You only use 10 percent of your brain

1.	Baranaga, M. 1997. New imaging methods provide a better view into the brain. Science 276:1974–1976.
2.	Beyerstein, L. 1999. Whence cometh the myth that we only use ten percent of our brains? In Mind-Myths: Exploring Popular Assumptions About the Mind and Brain, edited by S. Della Sala. Indianapolis, IN: John Wiley and Sons.
3.	Carnegie, D. 1944. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. New York: Simon and Schuster.
4.	Damasio, H., and A. R. Damasio, 1989. Lesion Analysis in Neuropsychology. New York: Oxford University Press.
5.	Gazzaniga, M. 1989. Organization of the human brain. Science 245:947–52.
6.	Langa, K. M., E. B. Larson, J. H. Karlawish, D. M. Cutler, M. U. Kabeto, S. Y. Kim, and A. B. Rosen. 2008. Trends in the prevalence and mortality of cognitive impairment in the United States: is there evidence of a compression of cognitive morbidity? Alzheimer’s and Dementia 4 (2):134–44.
7.	Marden, O. S. 1909. Peace, Power, and Plenty. New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell.
8.	Marden, O. S. 1917. How to Get What You Want. New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell.
9.	Marg, E., J. E. Adams, and B. Rutkin. 1968. Receptive fields of cells in the human visual cortex. Experientia 24:348–50.
10.	Petersen, S. E., P. T. Fox, A. Z. Snyder, and M. E. Raichle. 1990. Activation of extrastriate and frontal cortex areas by visual words and word-like stimuli. Science 249:1041–44.
11.	Roland, P. E. 1993. Brain Activation. New York: Wiley-Liss.
12.	Rosner, B. S. 1974. Recovery of function and localization of function in historical perspective. In Plasticity and Recovery of Function in the Central Nervous System, edited by Stein, D. G., H. Rosen, and N. Butters. New York: Academic Press.
13.	Sacks, O. 1985. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales. New York: Summit Books.

Your hair and fingernails continue to grow after you die

1.	Christoph, T., S. Muller-Rover, H. Audring, D. J. Tobin, B. Hermes, G. Cotsarelis, R. Ruckert, and R. Paus. 2000. The human hair follicle immune system: cellular composition and immune privilege. British Journal of Dermatology 142 (5):862–73.
2.	Maple, W., and M. Browning. 1994. Dead Men Do Tell Tales. New York: Doubleday.
3.	Paus, R., and G. Cotsarelis. 1999. The biology of hair follicles. New England Journal of Medicine 341 (7):491–97.
4.	Remarque, E. M., and A. W. Wheen. 1929. All Quiet on the Western Front. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
5.	Snopes.com, “Fingernails grow after death,” http://www.snopes.com/science/nailgrow.asp (Accessed June 11, 2008).

If you shave your hair, it will grow back faster, darker, and thicker

1.	Lynfield, Y. L., and P. Macwilliams. 1970. Shaving and hair growth. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 55 (3):170–2.
2.	Paus, R., and G. Cotsarelis. 1999. The biology of hair follicles. New England Journal of Medicine 341 (7):491–97.
3.	Saitoh, M., M. Uzuka, and M. Sakamoto. 1970. Human hair cycle. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 54 (1):65–81.
4.	Trotter, M. 1928. Hair growth and shaving. Anatomical Record 37 (December):373–79.
5.	Trueb, R. M. 2002. Causes and management of hypertrichosis. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology 3 (9):617–27.

You’ll ruin your eyesight if you read in the dark

1.	Fredrick, D. R. 2002. Myopia. British Medical Journal 324 (7347):1195–99.
2.	Goto, E., Y. Yagi, Y. Matsumoto, and K. Tsubota. 2002. Impaired functional visual acuity of dry eye patients. American Journal of Ophthalmology 133 (2):181–86.
3.	Howstuffworks. “Does reading in low light hurt your eyes?” http://science.howstuffworks.com/question462.htm (Accessed June 11, 2008).
4.	Kirkwood, B. J. 2006. Why do humans blink? A short review. Insight 31(3):15–17.
5.	NineMSN. “Does reading in dim light ruin your eyes?” http://health.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=113116 (Accessed 11 June 2008).
6.	Rubin, M. L, and L. A. Winograd. 2003. Taking Care of Your Eyes: A Collection of Patient Education Handouts Used by America’s Leading Eye Doctors. Gainesville, FL: Triad Publishing Company.
7.	Sheedy, J. E., S. Gowrisankaran, and J. R. Hayes. 2005. Blink rate decreases with eyelid squint. Optometry and Vision Science 82 (10):905-11.

The average person swallows eight spiders per year

1.	Gilmore B. “Chances of eating a spider while asleep.” http://www.brownreclusespider.org/eating-spider-while-asleep.htm (Accessed May 9, 2008).
2.	Gilmore B. “Eating spiders while asleep myth.” http://www.brownreclusespider.org/eating-spiders-while-asleep-myth.htm (Accessed May 9, 2008).
3.	Holst L. B. Reading is believing. PC Professional. January 7, 1993:71.
4.	Spiderzrule. “Questions and Answers.” http://www.spiderzrule.com/answers.htm (Accessed May 9, 2008).

You should poop at least once a day

1.	Benninga, M., D. C. Candy, A. G. Catto-Smith, G. Clayden, V. Loening-Baucke, C. Di Lorenzo, S. Nurko, and A. Staiano. 2005. The Paris consensus on childhood constipation terminology (PACCT) group. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 40 (3):273–75.
2.	Evaluation and treatment of constipation in infants and children: recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. 2006. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 43 (3):e1–13.
3.	ROME Foundation. “Diagnostic criteria for functional gastrointestinal disorders.” http://www.romecriteria.org/documents/Rome_II_App_A.pdf (Accessed May 9, 2008).

Your urine should be almost clear

1.	Bulloch, B., J. C. Bausher, W. J. Pomerantz, J. M. Connors, M. Mahabee-Gittens, and M. D. Dowd. 2000. Can urine clarity exclude the diagnosis of urinary tract infection? Pediatrics 106 (5):E60.
2.	Valtin, H. 2002. “Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.” Really? Is there scientific evidence for “8 × 8”? American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 283 (5):R993–1004.

You can beat a Breathalyzer test

1.	CANOE. “CNEWS-Weird News: Potty-mouth man can’t fool science.” http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2005/03/30/976892sun.html (Accessed 12 May 2008).
2.	Discovery Channel. “Beat the Breath Test—MythBusters Wiki.” http://mythbusters-wiki.discovery.com/page/Beat+the+Breath+Test (Accessed 12 May 2008).
3.	Sutton, L. R. 1989. Evidential breath ethanol analyzers, accuracy and sensitivity to breath acetone. Blutalkohol 26 (1):15–27.
4.	Worner, T. M., and J. Prabakaran. 1985. The accuracy of breath alcohol analysis using the breathalyzer. Alcohol and Alcoholism 20 (3):349–50.

You should never wake a sleepwalker

1.	Guilleminault, C., L. Palombini, R. Pelayo, and R. D. Chervin. 2003. Sleepwalking and sleep terrors in prepubertal children: what triggers them? Pediatrics 111 (1):e17–25.
2.	Masand, P., A. P. Popli, and J. B. Weilburg. 1995. Sleepwalking. American Family Physician 51 (3):649–54.
3.	Ohayon, M. M., C. Guilleminault, and R. G. Priest. 1999. Night terrors, sleepwalking, and confusional arousals in the general population: their frequency and relationship to other sleep and mental disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 60 (4):268–76.

Men think about sex every seven seconds

1.	Laumann, E.O. 1994. The Social Organization of Sexuality : Sexual Practices in the United States. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
2.	The Kinsey Institute. “Sexuality information links–FAQ.” http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/resources/FAQ.html (Accessed May 19, 2008).

Condoms will protect you from all STDs

1.	Steiner, M. J. and W. Cates, Jr. 2006. Condoms and sexually-transmitted infections. New England Journal of Medicine 354 (25):2642–43.
2.	Wald, A., A. G. M. Langenberg, E. Krantz, J. M. Douglas, Jr., H. H. Handsfield, R. P. DiCarlo, A. A. Adimora, A. E. Izu, R. A. Morrow, and L. Corey. 2005. The relationship between condom use and herpes simplex virus acquisition. Annals of Internal Medicine 143 (10):707–13.
3.	Warner, L., K. M. Stone, M. Macaluso, J. W. Buehler, and H. D. Austin. 2006. Condom use and risk of gonorrhea and chlamydia: a systematic review of design and measurement factors assessed in epidemiologic studies. Sexually Transmitted Diseases 33 (1):36–51.

Singles have much better sex lives than married people

1.	Laumann, E. O. 1994. The Social Organization of Sexuality : Sexual Practices in the United States. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
2.	National Opinion Research Center. “American Sexual Behavior.” http://www.norc.org/publications/american+sexual+behavior+2006.htm (Accessed May 20, 2008).

Virgins don’t have openings in their hymens

1.	Acar, A., O. Balci, R. Karatayli, M. Capar, and M. C. Colakoglu. 2007. The treatment of 65 women with imperforate hymen by a central incision and application of Foley catheter. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 114 (11):1376–79.
2.	Dane, C., B. Dane, M. Erginbas, and A. Cetin. 2007. Imperforate hymen—a rare cause of abdominal pain: two cases and review of the literature. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology 20(4):245–47.
3.	Miller, R. J., and L. L. Breech. 2008. Surgical correction of vaginal anomalies. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology 51 (2):223–36.

You can’t get pregnant using the “pull out” method

1.	Aytekin, N.T., Pala, K., Irgil, E., Aytekin, H. “Family planning choices and some characteristics of coitus interruptus users in Gemlik, Turkey.” Women’s Health Issues, 2001, Sep–Oct;11(5):442–7.
2.	Bahadur, A., Mittal, S., Sharma, J. B., Sehgal, R. “Socio-demographic profile of women undergoing abortion in a tertiary centre.” Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 2008 October;278(4):329–32.
3.	Grady, W. R., Hayward, M.D., Yagi, J. “Contraceptive failure in the United States: estimates from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth.” Family Planning Perspectives, 1986 Sep–Oct;18(5):200–9.
4.	KidsHealth. “Withdrawal.” http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=familydoctor=article_set=10581=lic=44=cat_id=20018 (Accessed May 21, 2008).

Birth control pills don’t work as well if you’re on antibiotics

1.	Burroughs, K. E., and M. L. Chambliss. 2000. Antibiotics and oral contraceptive failure. Archives of Family Medicine 9 (1):81–82.
2.	Helms, S. E., D. L. Bredle, J. Zajic, D. Jarjoura, R. T. Brodell, and I. Krishnarao. 1997. Oral contraceptive failure rates and oral antibiotics. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 36 (5 Pt 1):705–10.

You’re more likely to have a baby boy if you have sex
in the middle of your cycle

2.	France, J. T., F. M. Graham, L. Gosling, and P. I. Hair. 1984. A prospective study of the preselection of the sex of offspring by timing intercourse relative to ovulation. Fertility & Sterility 41 (6):894–900.
3.	Gray, R. H. 1991. Natural family planning and sex selection: fact or fiction? American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 165 (6 Pt 2):1982–84.
4.	Mathews, F., P. J. Johnson, and A. Neil. 2008. You are what your mother eats: evidence for maternal preconception diet influencing foetal sex in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences. 275(1643): 1661–68.
5.	Simcock, B. W. 1985. Sons and daughters—a sex preselection study. Medical Journal of Australia 142 (10):541–42.

You can predict the sex of your baby without a doctor

1.	Basso, O., and J. Olsen. 2001. Sex ratio and twinning in women with hyperemesis or pre-eclampsia. Epidemiology 12 (6):747–79.
2.	Costigan, K. A., H. L. Sipsma, and J. A. DiPietro. 2006. Pregnancy folklore revisited: the case of heartburn and hair. Birth 33 (4):311–14.
3.	del Mar Melero-Montes, M., and H. Jick. 2001. Hyperemesis gravidarum and the sex of the offspring. Epidemiology 12 (1):123–24.
4.	Depue, R. H., L. Bernstein, R. K. Ross, H. L. Judd, and B. E. Henderson. 1987. Hyperemesis gravidarum in relation to estradiol levels, pregnancy outcome, and other maternal factors: a seroepidemio-logic study. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 156 (5):1137–41.
5.	Druzin, M. L., J. M. Hutson, and T. G. Edersheim. 1986. Relationship of baseline fetal heart rate to gestational age and fetal sex. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecol ogy 154 (5):1102–3.
6.	Fowler, R. M. 1982. The “Drano test”. Journal of the American Medical Association 248 (7):831.
7.	Genuis, S., S. K. Genuis, and W. C. Chang. 1996. Antenatal fetal heart rate and “maternal intuition” as predictors of fetal sex. Journal of Reproductive Medicine 41 (6):447–49.
8.	James, W. H. 1995. Sex ratios of offspring and the causes of placental pathology. Human Reproduction 10 (6):1403–6.
9.	James, W. H. 2001. The associated offspring sex ratios and cause(s) of hyperemesis gravidarum. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 80(4):378–79.
10.	James, W. H. 2004. The sex ratio of pregnancies complicated by hospitalisation for hyperemesis gravidarum. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecol ogy 111 (6):636.
11.	McKenna, D. S., G. Ventolini, R. Neiger, and C. Downing. 2006. Gender-related differences in fetal heart rate during first trimester. Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy 21 (1):144–47.
12.	Ostler, S., and A. Sun. 1999. Fetal sex determination: the predictive value of 3 common myths. Canadian Medical Association Journal 161(12):1525–26.
13.	Perry, D. F., J. DiPietro, and K. Costigan. 1999. Are women carrying “basketballs” really having boys? Testing pregnancy folklore. Birth 26 (3):172–77.
14.	Petrie, B., and S. J. Segalowitz. 1980. Use of fetal heart rate, other perinatal and maternal factors as predictors of sex. Perceptual & Motor Skills 50 (3 Pt 1):871–74.
15.	Robles de Medina, P. G., G. H. Visser, A. C. Huizink, J. K. Buitelaar, and E. J. Mulder. 2003. Fetal behaviour does not differ between boys and girls. Early Human Development 73 (1-2):17–26.

Twins skip a generation

1.	Gilfillan C. P., D. M. Robertson, H. G. Burger, M. A. Leoni, V. A. Hurley, and N. G. Martin. 1996. The control of ovulation in mothers of dizygotic twins. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 81:1557–62.
2.	Hoekstra C., Z. Z. Zhao, C. B. Lambalk, G. Willemsen, N. G. Martin, D. I. Boomsma, and G. W. Montgomery. 2008. Dizygotic twinning. Human Reproduction Update 14:37–47.
3.	Lambalk C. B. 2001. Is there a role for follicle-stimulating-hormone receptor in familial dizygotic twinning? The Lancet 357:735–36.
4.	Lambalk C. B., and J. Schoemaker. 1997. Hypothetical risks of twinning in the natural menstrual cycle. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 75:1–4.
5.	O’Connor A. “The claim: twins always skip a generation.” New York Times. October 2, 2007.

Flying on a plane is dangerous for your unborn baby

1.	Committee opinion: number 264, December 2001. Air travel during pregnancy. 2001. Obstetrics & Gynecology 98 (6):1187–88.
2.	Daniell, W. E., T. L. Vaughan, and B. A. Millies. 1990. Pregnancy outcomes among female flight attendants. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 61 (9):840–44.
3.	Freeman, M., A. Ghidini, C. Y. Spong, N. Tchabo, P. Z. Bannon, and J. C. Pezzullo. 2004. Does air travel affect pregnancy outcome? Archives of gynecology and obstetrics 269 (4):274–77.
4.	Friedberg, W., D. N. Faulkner, L. Snyder, E. B. Darden, Jr., and K. O’Brien. 1989. Galactic cosmic radiation exposure and associated health risks for air carrier crewmembers. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 60 (11):1104–8.
5.	Morrell, S., R. Taylor, and D. Lyle. 1997. A review of health effects of aircraft noise. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 21(2):221–36.

Bed rest prevents preterm labor

1.	Sosa, C., F. Althabe, J. Belizan, and E. Bergel. 2004. Bed rest in singleton pregnancies for preventing preterm birth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (1):CD003581.