Remember all the rumors that you heard about sexuality and fertility as a teen (or even a 20-something or a 30-something)? It's hard to sort fact from fiction.
According to the Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) at the Georgetown University Medical Center, an accurate understanding of sexuality and fertility is surprisingly low around the world. That's why IRH has created an online quiz to probe fertility awareness, called "Know Your Bod," which poses the challenge: "You live with your body everyday. Do you really know it? Find out."
The online quiz asks ten questions including the true-or-false query, "A woman will get pregnant only if she has sex on the same day she ovulates? " After you select an answer, the quiz provides a simple educational summary that explains the correct answer. At the end, it shows your score and how you compare to the general population.
The quiz was officially introduced this week at the International Conference on Family Planning in Indonesia. It was developed as part of IRH's Fertility Awareness for Community Transformation Project, which strives to increase fertility awareness and the use of family planning.
Victoria Jennings, PhD, director of IRH, explained in a recent Georgetown press release:
Accurate understanding and awareness about human fertility is surprisingly low around the world, regardless of age, sex or education level. If we could lift the taboos and improve fertility awareness, would people be informed and empowered to make better sexual and reproductive health decisions? At IRH, we believe the answer to this question is 'yes.'
So why not take the challenge? How well do you know your bod?
Jennifer Huber, PhD, is a science writer with extensive technical communications experience as an academic research scientist, freelance science journalist, and writing instructor.
Previously:Ask Stanford Med: Expert in reproductive medicine responds to questions on infertility, Sex without babies, and visa versa: Stanford panel explores issues surrounding reproductive technologies, and Med students want more sexual-health training
Photo by Scott Maxwell
