Sex and Birth Control - What you think you know

I like to think my girlfriends and I are intelligent, well-traveled and well-read. We're a group of politically, socially, fiscally aware women, who can hold their own in any conversation, referencing the most recent issue of The Nation or last week's Meet the Press.

Imagine my surprise as conversation turned to birth control and sex and the following statements were tossed into the conversation:

I don't care if I miss the final 2-3 pills in my birth control pack, I just toss them. What's going to happen, I'll be getting my period in a couple days anyway...

What? You can get herpes from oral sex?

I've been on birth control since I was 15. Since I might want to have a baby in a couple years, I'm going off the pill, so my body's fertility can readjust.

During this particular conversation, as these statements were made, the misconceptions were corrected. However, it got me thinking.... How long has it been since we've read that mini-insert that comes with our birth control? Now acutely aware of how easily a misconception can be adopted as a truth, I am making an active effort to reeducate myself. Starting with next month's pill pack, I'll be reading the fine print.

Side Note: If you haven't beeen turned onto it yet...The Nuvaring is quickly replacing Ortho Tri as the method of preference among my friends. Consider asking your gyno about it.