Debunking Common Reproductive Health Myths: What You Need to Know

In today's digital age, it's easier than ever to access information about our health. However, not all of this information is accurate or backed by scientific evidence. When it comes to women's reproductive health, there are countless myths and misconceptions that can lead to confusion, anxiety, and even harmful health decisions.

Fortunately, we have experts like Dr. Karen Tang, a board-certified OBGYN and women's health expert, to help us separate fact from fiction. In a recent episode of the Baby or Bust podcast, Dr. Tang and host Dr. Lora Shahine tackled some of the most common reproductive health myths, providing valuable insights and practical advice.

Myth #1: Birth Control Causes Infertility

One of the most persistent myths surrounding birth control is that it can cause infertility. However, as Dr. Tang explains, this is simply not true. "There's never been shown any sort of long-term influence on your fertility with any of the methods [of birth control]," she says.

The reason this myth persists is that some people may experience difficulty conceiving after stopping birth control, but this is not due to the birth control itself. "The reason that like this myth exists is say someone is on birth control from the time they're 18 to the time they're like 48 and when they try and get pregnant after stopping the birth control they're 48 and obviously your egg number and your quality is not good," Dr. Tang explains. "It's not that the birth control made them infertile, it's that time has passed."

Additionally, Dr. Tang notes that most forms of birth control, such as the pill, IUDs, and implants, can be stopped and fertility can return quickly. "As soon as you stop them or you remove the IUD, like you're going to be able to get pregnant right away," she says.

Myth #2: Birth Control Changes Who You're Attracted To

Another common myth about birth control is that it can change who you're attracted to. Dr. Tang dismisses this idea, calling it "ridiculous."

"I looked this up once because I was just like what is this guy even talking about, and there was like some tiny study I'm sure there's like more than one of these like little ridiculous studies it had like 10 people in it and it was like about sniffing t-shirts," she explains. "It's like they gave people t-shirts to sniff and then it was like that that if you were on birth control you you preferred the scent of people who are more biologically similar to you."

Dr. Tang emphasizes that this type of research is not representative of how people actually choose their partners. "I mean I would hope that people are attracted to more than just like how someone smells or that you know it's something about you know personality or having like a fit and over time like getting to know someone," she says.

Myth #3: Hormones Can Be "Out of Balance"

The idea of "hormone imbalance" has become a popular topic in the wellness community, with many people seeking to "balance" their hormones through various supplements and treatments. However, according to Dr. Tang, this is often more of a marketing ploy than a legitimate medical concern.

"If you were to check hormones in most people who are you know premenopausal like they will quote unquote look normal," she says. "The exception are obviously if someone is having fertility issues or if they're um you know kind of having menopause symptoms or skipping lots of periods and they're like under like age 40 to 45, like a typical kind of per menopause age then yes we do need to do some testing to figure out if there's something going on."

Dr. Tang emphasizes that the actual hormone levels are not always the problem; it's how the body is reacting to those hormones that can cause issues. "It's not that the actual level of hormones is the problem, it's how your body's reacting to it," she explains. "Say you have really bad PMS or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), you have really really bad symptoms, you're having irregular bleeding - that's sort of like your body's response, it's not that the hormone levels are wrong."

She cautions against the trend of "customized" hormone testing and treatments, as these are often not supported by medical evidence. "If someone is saying that you have to you know check your hormones and do all these special tests and like kind of do all of this like kind of customize like hormone balancing again it's sort of a marketing thing," she says.

Myth #4: Painful Periods Are Normal

One of Dr. Tang's most passionate topics is the myth that severe period pain is normal. "Severe pain is never normal," she emphasizes. "Whether that's pain with periods, pain with sex, like vaginal pain - that sort of thing - there's so many times that like female pain especially is very normalized that everyone has bad periods, everyone has pain with sex at some point, like no."

Dr. Tang explains that debilitating period pain, such as pain that keeps you from going to school or work, or requires heavy medication to manage, is a sign that something may be wrong. "If you're having just like regular cramps like you feel crampy, you take an ibuprofen and you feel fine, like that is normal," she says. "But if you are in debilitating pain, it's keeping you from going to school going to work, like you're having to take a ton of ibuprofen just to function, you're having some other like concerning symptoms like you're throwing up, you're like having horrible diarrhea, those are all things to get checked out because it could be something like endometriosis."

She also notes that the normalization of painful periods often runs in families, with women assuming that their experience is just "how it is" because their mothers, grandmothers, and other relatives have also struggled with severe menstrual pain. "Everyone in the family mom, grandmother, aunts, cousins, sisters all had bad periods, they all think it's this is everybody has this," she says. "And then maybe the doctors will tell them that too and again it sort of perpetuates that myth."

Myth #5: Tampons Cause Endometriosis

Another persistent myth is that the use of tampons can cause endometriosis, a painful condition where the uterine lining grows outside of the uterus. Dr. Tang firmly debunks this myth, calling it "ridiculous."

"I love that I can make you laugh, people really believe this," she says. "The sad thing is that for all of these I've seen like TikToks and stuff where someone is saying this and one guy and he was like it like shoots the blood back into your abdomen and that's where enosis from. I mean, like first of all I was like how much force do you think that these tons are exerting?"

Dr. Tang explains that tampons cannot force blood back into the body, as the cervix is closed like a "fist" and would not allow such a thing to happen. "It's definitely not the cause and like clearly people get enosis who don't use tampons and they only use so it's a little bit of a ridiculous one," she says.

Myth #6: Hovering Over a Public Toilet is the Right Way to Pee

Another common myth is that the best way to use a public restroom is to hover over the toilet seat, rather than sitting down. However, according to Dr. Tang, this is actually harmful advice.

"Hovering at public toilets and I will tell you I learned this actually a couple years back I was giving a talk at UPenn with a pelvic physical therapist and she had it in her talk and I was like what I did not learn this in medical school," she says. "The reason the toilet seats kind of have pee on them is because people are hovering and they're getting pee on the sat down the pee would go into the toilet so it's actually more hygienic to sit down."

Dr. Tang explains that hovering can actually cause pelvic floor dysfunction and other issues. "The way you hover, you're spasming, you're like tightening muscles that you should be relaxing when you're trying to you know pee or poop, you're actually like kind of clenching those muscles and that is like you know it can cause chronic pain, it can cause problem controlling your bladder, constipation," she says.

• Instead, Dr. Tang recommends sitting down on the toilet, using toilet paper or a toilet cover to protect the seat if desired.

• She also suggests using a "Squatty Potty" or similar device that lifts your feet, as this can help relax the pelvic floor muscles and promote a more natural, healthy bowel movement.

Myth #7: You Can't Have PCOS if You're Thin

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal condition that can cause a range of symptoms, including irregular periods, excess hair growth, and weight gain. However, many people believe that PCOS only affects those who are overweight or obese.

"Obiously not true," says Dr. Tang. "The kind of term is lean PCOS but it basically just means that like you could be any weight, body shape, etc. and have PCOS."

Dr. Tang explains that PCOS is a complex condition that can present in different ways. "I kind of think it's going to end up being multiple different things I've kind of gotten wed into one pool," she says. "Some people have perfectly normal cycles, other people have completely missing cycles, some people have lots of facial hair and acne, others don't. Some people have the diabetes and insulin resistance."

She notes that this misconception can lead to missed or delayed diagnoses, as doctors may not consider PCOS in thin patients. "There's a whole generation of doctors that haven't kept up with and learning and how much we've learned over the last couple of decades and they have somebody thin that walks in and doesn't struggle with weight or have insulin resistance and they say oh well you can't have PCOS you don't look like that person told that in my textbook," she says.

Myth #8: Your Doctor is Always Right

Perhaps the most important myth to debunk is the idea that your doctor is always right. While healthcare providers are highly trained professionals, they are still human and can make mistakes or have biases.

"Doctors are just humans like um so a lot of medicine is to just like what was handed down to you from like the forbears your mentors your teachers and like a lot of times like it's just sort of what they had heard and like it may not be like super evidence-based and like medicine is also always changing too," Dr. Tang explains.

She encourages patients to advocate for themselves and not be afraid to seek a second opinion if they feel their concerns are not being addressed. "If you are not getting answers or improving so kind a nice non-confrontational way but just to say like you know what do you think could be causing these symptoms," she suggests. "If you're getting literally nothing it's like a brick wall like this is where you get another opinion like you go to see a specialist and this is where sometimes seeing like a you know like a a medical specialist with that expertise in that thing you know uh endocrinologist PCOS specialist enemis specialist like you might need to go to somebody who does this more often."

Dr. Tang also emphasizes the importance of being prepared for appointments, by doing research and coming in with specific questions or concerns. "The purpose of the book too was just like educate you enough so that you have like a running start so that when you go to your doctor like you kind of have something to to kind of start discussing and okay yeah let's jump in let's talk PCS let's talk enemy," she says.

By being an informed and proactive patient, you can work collaboratively with your healthcare provider to ensure you receive the best possible care.

Empowering Yourself with Knowledge

In conclusion, the myths and misconceptions surrounding women's reproductive health can be pervasive and harmful. By educating ourselves and seeking out reliable, evidence-based information, we can make informed decisions about our health and advocate for the care we deserve.

As Dr. Tang says, "if you hear something on social media on the internet whatever and it's any sort of extreme like everyone should do this it's always this it's never this no one should do it like those sort of extreme language kind of comments are almost never correct in medicine everything should be individualized it should be based on like you as a person your own history your risk factors your preferences."

To learn more from Dr. Tang and stay up-to-date on the latest in women's health, be sure to follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can also check out her book, "It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told)", for a deeper dive into these important topics.

Remember, your health is too important to be left to myths and misconceptions. Empower yourself with knowledge, advocate for your needs, and work with healthcare providers who listen and respect your concerns. Together, we can break down the barriers to women's reproductive health and ensure that everyone has access to the care and support they deserve.

For more information and resources, be sure to check out Dr. Lora Shahine's Baby or Bust Fertility Podcast, as well as her website and social media channels, including Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.