From Vagina Dentata to V-Cleansing: 11 Weird Sexual Myths

Let’s talk about sexual myths… and not the “pulling out is a highly effective birth control method” kind of myths. We’ll be sharing stories that are so ridiculous like vagina dentata, most people are puzzled that some folks believed in them. So, let’s put on our myth-busting hats, as we’ll be debunking some of these sexual myths.

You can also check this subreddit post where we’ve garnered most of the stories. There’s still tons of stuff to go through on that post, but oh boy, the list below were the ones that have stuck with us— and could probably work as a weird ice breaker for those date nights with babe.

1Vagina Dentata

Have you heard of the horror movie ‘Teeth’ starring Jess Weixler? It revolves around Dawn, a teenager with a strange condition that protects her from violent situations. Because she grew up near a nuclear power plant, a mutation occurred, resulting in her vagina having teeth in them. When a man tries to force himself on her, it’ll chop the whole schlong off. On the other hand, things will go smoothly if the sex is consented by Dawn. This campy horror is known to be a commentary regarding consent and sexual assault.

But the story of a woman’s vagina containing teeth has been discussed years before this movie was released. Vagina Dentata is a folk tale about a woman with a toothed vagina. It is supposed to scare men into having intimate encounters with unknown women and discourage sexual violence.

This tale has been mentioned in South America, North America, and Western Asia. However, some people believe this bizarre condition is real, with some even connecting it with Penis Captivus, a condition where a penis can get stuck during intercourse.

Well, we’re here to clarify that your vagina cannot produce a whole set of teeth, nor can it chomp down on dicks.

The closest medical condition to vagina dentata is an ovarian dermoid cyst, in which a cyst containing skin, hair, teeth, or sweat glands is formed on the ovaries. Unlike a vagina dentata, wherein someone can feel the teeth when a finger or penis is inserted, this condition can only be seen through imaging studies, such as ultrasounds. It’s also not necessarily fatal, but surgical removal may be required if it harms the affected individual.

2Virgin Cleansing Myth

This is one of the sexual myths on this list that is as bizarre as the vagina dentata. The virgin cleansing myth, also known as the virgin cure myth, suggests that having sex with an inexperienced woman can cure HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

It was first mentioned in 16th-century Europe and gained traction in 19th-century Victorian England, seeing it as an effective cure for sexually transmitted diseases. According to the historian Hanne Blank, this “ritual” may have originated from the legends of the virgin–martyrs, in which purity can be used as protection when battling demons.

And it’s now just prevalent in Europe. The virgin cleansing myth has also spread across the globe. For instance, traditional healers from Zimbabwe encourage HIV-positive men to have sex with virgin girls to cure their condition.

Meanwhile, a survey from the Daimler Chrysler plant in East London shows that 18 percent of their 498 laborers thought having sex with a virgin cures HIV/AIDS. It’s not much, but the idea that people believe in this is terrifying. If these people end up HIV-positive, they may seek virgin women (or worse, girls) and possibly manipulate, pay, or force them to have sex.

It’s still happening in the recent times, as more and more male customers in Sonagachi, Kolkata, visit the main red-light district to look for virgin girls.

Like the vagina dentata, the virgin cleansing myth is a complete lie. When an HIV-positive person has unprotected sex with an inexperienced woman or girl, they only transmit the infection to that person.

There’s no cure for HIV just yet, but HIV-positive people can take the antiretroviral treatment as soon as possible, as this reduces HIV in the body to an undetectable viral load. Leading a healthy lifestyle is also vital while getting the needed treatment. It will improve the person’s health, prevent opportunistic infections, and reduce transmission risk. You can check Lauvette’s HIV Guide for more information.

3Cowgirl as a Contraceptive

One of the common yet ridiculous sexual myths is that if the woman is on top, she can’t get pregnant even if they have unprotected sex. They believe that the sperm wouldn’t be able to reach the egg since the semen will slide right down after ejaculation.

Condoms? Implants? IUDs? Pills? Nah, there’s no need to use that. Cowgirl sex position is the way.

Excuse the sarcasm, but no sex position could increase or decrease your chances of getting pregnant. Even if you do a standing or sitting-on-lap sex position, you’ll still have a chance of conceiving if you’re not using any form of birth control. When your partner cums inside you, the sperm travels to the fallopian tubes immediately to fertilize the egg.

Please don’t risk your body to unintended pregnancy and even sexually transmitted infections. Get condoms and other contraceptives to keep the deed fun and safe!

4Sideways Asian Vagina

Another crazy sexual myth is that Asian women had sideway-slanted vaginas. According to Historian Judy Yung, a professor emerita in American Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, this myth targeted Chinese women in the 1850s.

During this period, gentlemen visiting Chinese prostitutes in California brothels would joke around about how different the vaginal opening of Chinese women is, saying that it has a horizontal slant. Though this claim has no truth, the rumor spread through the Korean War.

Like the vagina dentata, this notion is completely false— and is rooted in misogyny and racism. Every vagina-having folk has the same female sexual anatomy. It just so happens that some ancient a-holes at the time thought it would be clever to put such a vile joke on Asian women, and that became a myth for years.

5Hot Tub Sex Prevents Pregnancy

This is one of the sexual myths that continued to be discussed, as it has some false and truthful claims.

People believe that having unprotected hot tub sex won’t make you pregnant. Exposing the testes to high temperatures, like the ones in hot baths and saunas, can lower the sperm count.

Though putting your testicles in hot spaces can indeed decrease sperm count by up to 50 percent, it doesn’t guarantee that you won’t get pregnant through unprotected hot tub intercourse. As long as the penis ejaculates inside the vagina, fertilization can still occur. Besides, the low-sperm effect is only temporary, and it’ll be back to normal once the person minimizes their stay in these hot tubs and saunas.

6Mountain Dew’s Yellow 5

Not to the level of vagina dentata, but there’s another weird sexual myth involving teenagers and Mountain Dew, a carbonated soft drink that gives off a sweet, refreshing, and citrusy taste.

A few years ago, teenage boys stopped drinking Mountain Dew and were even afraid to take at least a drop.

The reason? It’s because the soda contains an ingredient called “Yellow 5,” which is also known as E102 and tartrazine. According to the rumors, regular intake of this substance can shrink the testicles and penis, plus it can lower sperm count. Some unverified testimonials even said they drank a few bottles of Mountain Dew as a contraceptive.

As with all the sexual myths in this list, this claim has no truth. Yellow 5 is an artificial food color (AFC) used for food products to give off an appetizing appearance.

Drinks don’t necessarily affect the penis size or sperm production. What affects it are certain health conditions, such as hormone imbalances, sexually transmitted infections, inflammation of the testicles, and cancers of the male reproductive organs.

7Toilet Seat Pregnancy

People are pretty cautious when using public toilets. After all, you’ll be dealing with the feces and urine of strangers that end up on the surfaces of the floors, stall doors, and toilet seats. But aside from catching bacterial infections, some women believe they may get pregnant from sitting in a toilet bowl. Yes, it was a thing a few years back. It’s because of the claim that sperm can survive for five days after ejaculation.

And like the other sexual myths on the list, this statement has no truth. The claim “sperm can survive after five days” can only happen if it’s within the female reproductive tract, meaning it’s inside the vagina. It cannot survive that long if exposed outside the body.

8Condoms Can’t Protect You from HIV

One of the common misconceptions about HIV is that once you have it, you can easily transmit it to someone else, even if you’re wearing a condom. This is 100% false, as condoms can prevent STI transmission— about 98% effective if worn correctly. Male and female condoms are also the only available contraceptives that could minimize the risk of STIs and unintended pregnancies.

9Regain the Cherry Myth

This may be one of the wildest sexual myths on the list, but it’s also the one people still have mixed feelings about.

People claim that a person’s virginity, particularly female virginity, can be restored. Some say if you don’t have sex for years, use feminine hygiene products with “tightening” features, or get vaginoplasty, you can get revirginized and experience sex like it’s your first time.

Here’s the thing: virginity is a social construct. When you lose your virginity, it only means you’ve gained a sexual experience. No amount of abstinence, surgery, or feminine hygiene products can bring that sensual innocence back. At the end of the day, even if you did all these things, you can still remember that first time, right? It’s still in the back of your head, so restoring the “firmness” of your vag is pretty unnecessary and may only hurt your body and wallet in the long run.

On the other hand, if you’re suffering from vaginal issues that affect your comfort and daily life, we highly recommend consulting a specialist and getting the needed surgery.

10The “Menacing” Effects of Masturbation

As masturbation has been heavily discouraged before, specifically within religious communities, several fake effects have surfaced to possibly scare everyone from doing it. According to word of mouth and unverified anecdotes, masturbation can cause the following:

• Blindness
• Hairy palms
• Erectile dysfunction
• Infertility
• Deviant sexual behavior
• Desensitization of genitals
• Shrinkage of genitals
• Mental health issues

These sexual myths may not be as intense as vagina dentata or the Sideways Asian Vagina. However, it’s still crazy to think that some folks believed and spread these claims about masturbation. There are also no studies that could back up any of the mentioned effects above.

11The Two-Condom Myth

Let’s go a bit tamer for the last myth on this list. One of the common misconceptions about condom use is that the more condoms you wear, the higher its effectiveness would be. Well, it does make sense if you think about it. For instance, if you’re feeling cold, you will wrap yourself in multiple blankets to warm yourself. The more blankets there are, the cozier you’ll feel.

However, that doesn’t work with condoms. In fact, the risks are higher if you wear two condoms at the same time. The condoms will contact each other during the deed, causing friction and possible breakage. So nope, stick to one condom per round, mister. If you want to feel as fully protected as possible, you can always use thicker condoms.

Takeaway

And that ends our guide! From dispelling vagina dentata to clarifying the possibility of getting pregnant from a toilet seat, we’ve learned that while sexual myths might have a way of capturing our imagination, science-backed facts are the real stars of the show.

Remember to research properly before believing a certain claim you might see online— be open to learning, unlearning, and growing.