CARNAL NATION

BBC reports that many women believe a wide range of off-the-wall contraception myths. A survey of 1000 women in the United Kingdom, conducted by pollster Opinion Health, found that women falsely believe that common kitchen items can be used as birth control.
Crisps, Coca-Cola, garlic and chewing gum were all erroneously identified as potential oral contraceptives by survey respondents.

One in five women believed that bread and chicken skin can function as alternative barrier methods and more than half of the women surveyed inaccurately linked the use of oral contraceptive pills with infertility.

Alarmingly, some women considered the birth control pill effective at preventing HIV. As the pill does not prevent the exchange of bodily fluids, it offers no protection against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.

According to Annie Evans of the Bristol Sexual Health Centre, "It is not surprising that this survey has uncovered how widespread contraceptive myths still are in this country, given that Britain continues to have the highest unintended pregnancy rate in Europe with as many as 50% of births being unintended. It is vital that women are made aware of the facts, using credible sources of information available to them."

For accurate information on contraception and safer sex, check out the websites of National Health Service (UK), Planned Parenthood (USA) and Sexualityandu (Canada).