Surprising Facts About Birth Control You Might Not Know

#1 Birth control pills affect your sense of smell, which can ultimately impact who you’re attracted to.

Scent plays a huge, unconscious role in who we're sexually into.

#2 It’s not unhealthy to skip your period due to birth control.

Your uterus doesn't need to be "cleaned out", despite popular belief.

#3 You can take a contraceptive shot that lasts three months and is effective as the pill.

It goes in your arm (like a flu shot) and is over 99% effective.

#4 And IUDs are the most effective form of birth control.

And, despite the myths, IUDs are just as effective and safe for women who have never had kids before.

#5 It’s a myth that the pill makes you gain weight.

A 2006 study found that pill users did gain weight, but that there was no evidence to support that it was from birth control.

#6 It is also a myth that taking the pill for a long time is bad for you or will make you infertile.

Women have been using the FDA-approved pill since the 1960s and have been tested and surveyed, with no signs of health problems caused by the pill.

#7 The male version of the birth control pill is “on the way.”

The process is more complicated since it has to block 1,500 sperm cells produced each second. But test results on male mice have been promising!

#8 You can get protected from pregnancy up to five days after sex with Plan B or another brand.

P.S.: Plan B gets less effective every day, so read up on the brand you use.

P.P.S.: It still won't protect you from STIs, so use a condom when with a stranger!

#9 The first condoms appeared in 3,000 B.C.

And were made of animal intestines and fish bladders.

#10 And the first birth control clinic in the U.S. was opened by Margaret Sanger in 1916.

She went to jail for a month due to being a "public nuisance."

#11 Los Angeles County’s film permits for pornography dropped 95% in 2013 because of Measure B, which states that all male actors must wear condoms.

Ventura County, meanwhile, has reported higher numbers of porn productions.

#12 Birth control pills have caused some water pollution.

Ethinyl estradiol, found in the urine of women on birth control pills, has caused some side effects in fish, including intersex fish that have difficulty reproducing.