You're both excited, making the good-night kiss last longer than the date. You're thinking, "Maybe the fun doesn't have to end here," so you start thinking about oral sex. You figure, it's all pleasure and no pain, since there's no way you can get a sexually transmitted disease…right?

Wrong. The belief that oral sex is "safe" sex is just one of the many myths we hear about sex. There are actually so many sex myths teens hear, it's hard to know what's true and what's not. I know the basics, but I'm no sex guru. So, I decided to contact a sexual health expert, Eva S. Goldfarb, Ph.D., associate professor of health education at Montclair State University, in Montclair, N.J. Dr. Goldfarb helped me debunk this top-10 list of sex myths.

So, without further ado, let's break it down:

Myth 1: Oral sex is safe sex
Nope, oral sex is not risk-free! If you're giving or receiving unprotected oral sex, you're coming in contact with bodily fluids (semen or vaginal fluids) with your mouth, and having skin-to-skin contact, which is how sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread. So, if you have unprotected oral sex, you can get one of a slew of STDs, like gonorrhea, oral or genital herpes, genital warts (HPV), syphilis, or chlamydia. And your partner can be contagious even if he or she has no symptoms of an STD! So, if you choose to do it, always use a condom or dental dam during oral sex.

Myth 2: Condoms won't protect you from HIV
No. If you are sexually active, consistent and correct use of latex or polyurethane condoms is the best way to protect yourself from HIV--the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is very small, but it can't get through these types of condoms. However, if you use lamb or natural skin condoms, which are more porous, HIV could pass through the pores and you (or your partner) may get infected. Your best bet is to use latex or polyurethane condoms every time.

Myth 3: If you have a sexually transmitted disease (STD), you'll know it because you'll have symptoms
Not true. Someone can definitely have an STD and not even know it. So, talking with your guy or girl and getting tested before you have any kind of sex is a good idea. If you're going to have sex, always use protection!

Myth 4: If you're turned on by the same sex, you must be gay or lesbian
Not true. Sexual orientation is a tricky subject because most folks fall into a range rather than an exact category. Because of this, many people have varying degrees of sexual attraction to people of the same gender. Actually, a lot of people who identify as heterosexual may have these kinds of feelings for their own gender, and people who identify as gay and lesbian can have similar feelings about opposite genders. All of this is completely common. So, if you're sitting in class, putting on makeup, and thinking that girl next to you is so hot, it doesn't mean you're a lesbian. And if you're checking out some dude's body in the locker room, it doesn't mean you're gay.

Myth 5: You need your parents' permission to get birth control
You and your honey are planning a night together and you want to take the Pill to prevent pregnancy. You need to get a prescription for the Pill, but, yikes, you're worried about talking to your parents, right? It may surprise you, but a lot of parents really want to make sure their kids stay safe, and they are open to talking about birth control. But, if you feel like you can't, you do have resources. Parental consent laws differ from state to state as well as from clinic to clinic; however, in most cases, if you are under 18, you're entitled to birth control that's confidential. When you call to make an appointment, ask the clinic about their privacy policy. If you can go to a family planning clinic, like Planned Parenthood, to get birth control pills or other prescription contraceptives, you don't need your parents' permission. You can also go to a pharmacy and buy condoms and other over-the-counter birth control methods--no questions asked. To find a Planned Parenthood near you, click here.

Myth 6: Birth control pills protect you from STDs
Birth control pills are a great way to prevent pregnancy, but that's all they do. The pill won't protect you or your partner from an STD--only latex and polyurethane condoms can do that.

Myth 7: Emergency Contraception is an abortion pill
Uh-oh, the condom broke? Emergency contraception (EC) can reduce the risk of pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. But wait…isn't EC an "abortion pill"? No way! Emergency contraceptive pills can actually prevent pregnancy from even occurring. Medically speaking, pregnancy starts when a fertilized egg is implanted into the uterus. This happens five to seven days after fertilization. Emergency contraception is taken within 72 hours (three days) of unprotected intercourse. It's used before implantation, so it prevents pregnancy. For more on EC, read our news article.

Myth 8: A girl can't get pregnant if the guy "pulls out"
Not true. A girl can get pregnant if the guy pulls out. During intercourse, a guy has pre-cum (called "pre-ejaculate") that may contain live sperm. Pre-cum can cause pregnancy. "Pulling out," or the withdrawal method of birth control, isn't very reliable because the guy's timing and control need to be perfect. How many guys have that much control? And don't forget--pulling out leaves you at risk for getting an STD.

Myth 9: A woman can't get pregnant if she has sex during her period
Wrong. Though the chances of pregnancy are lower, they still exist. Teenage girls' menstrual cycles can be way out of whack (read: unpredictable) and ovulation (when an egg is released) can occur during the menstrual cycle. But even if ovulation doesn't occur during a girl's period, sperm can hang out for up to five days inside the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes. And an egg can be fertilized up to 48 hours after ovulation. So, if a girl has sex during her period, and then ovulates, or if she ovulates right before her period, sperm in the reproductive tract can still fertilize the egg and pregnancy is possible.

Myth 10: Every STD can be cured
Sorry, but after unprotected sex (oral, vaginal, or anal), you can go away with a lovely life-long parting gift: an incurable STD. There are two classifications of sexually transmitted diseases. Some are caused by bacteria, and others are caused by viruses. Bacterial STDs--such as gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis (trich)--can be cured with antibiotics. The viral STDs--HIV, herpes, hepatitis B, or genital warts (HPV)--are like diamonds; they last forever. HIV is the viral STD that causes AIDS.

Lalitha "Lily" Chandrasekher, 17, of Hamilton, NJ, is an editor for SEX, ETC., the national newsletter and Web site written by teens, for teens, on sexual health issues, published by the Network for Family Life Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

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