Medical data shows that clinical research on women health issues, especially those involved with childbearing is still very low.

Doctors say that women are under-represented in clinical trials because scientists are reluctant to expose women in the various stages of child bearing to trial drugs and treatments.

So there is a lot of misinformation floating around about women’s health during pregnancy and child birth. Here are five things that you should bear in mind about sex and pregnancy:

1. Timing method of birth control may not be effective. You can get pregnant during your period. While you are menstruating the actual conception may not happen but research shows that a sperm inside the fallopian tube can wait for the egg to release for almost a week. So when egg is released after your period, the sperm can impregnate it.

2. Menopause does not really diminish your need for sex. A study done in the US shows that woman in their 50s can participate in healthy sex. What can come in between are the hot flashes and discomfort due vaginal dryness. But these can easily be overcome.

3. All antibiotics do not impact the reliability of birth control pills. Only antibiotics taken for treating tuberculosis can lower pregnancy protecting hormone levels induced by the pills.

4. Your hymen has a hole to allow the menstrual blood to flow out. So it is a myth about intact hymen without holes. If your hymen did not have holes you could suffer from serious health issues. It is not really possible to tell if a woman is a virgin or not. Even doctors cannot really sort the virgins from the sexually active.

5. Hypertension in women is related to sleep patterns. Unlike men, women who sleep less than six hours a night can be plagued by psychological distress, and their insulin levels get raised. Women actually need seven or more hours of sleep per night.