That Slutty Nurse
Myths & facts
Drugs and sexual health. Short answers to common misconceptions, with sources you can read for yourself.
Cannot wake someone? Call 911 now.Searching or waiting before calling delays emergency care.
Drugs
Methamphetamine
- Myth: Street drugs have the same strength every time.
- Fact: The name or look cannot prove what is in a drug or how strong it is.
Mephedrone & other synthetic cathinones
- Myth: A research chemical has been tested for safety.
- Fact: The name does not mean it is safe.
GHB, GBL & 1,4-BD
- Myth: They are just having a G nap.
- Fact: If you cannot wake them, call 911 now.
Ketamine
- Myth: Doctors use it, so a K-hole is safe.
- Fact: Medical use includes close watching and care.
Poppers
- Myth: Blue lips are a normal side effect.
- Fact: Blue or gray lips can be an emergency. Call 911.
MDMA
- Myth: Drinking lots of water prevents all MDMA harm.
- Fact: Too much water can dangerously lower blood salt. MDMA can also cause overheating.
Cocaine & crack cocaine
- Myth: Cocaine sobers me up after drinking.
- Fact: Feeling awake does not undo alcohol's effects.
Opioids
- Myth: Naloxone fixes every kind of overdose.
- Fact: It reverses opioid effects. Other drugs may still cause harm.
Benzodiazepines & sleep medicines
- Myth: Quitting all at once is always safest.
- Fact: Ask your prescriber for a safe plan to stop.
Alcohol
- Myth: Coffee or a cold shower reverses alcohol overdose.
- Fact: They do not reverse an overdose. If you cannot wake someone, call 911 now.
Cannabis
- Myth: Legal or prescribed means safe to drive.
- Fact: You can still be too impaired to drive.
Psilocybin & LSD
- Myth: Natural or tiny doses are proven safe treatments.
- Fact: We do not know if microdosing is safe or works.
Nitrous oxide
- Myth: B12 pills make continued use safe.
- Fact: B12 is not a proven shield against harm.
N,N-DMT & ayahuasca
- Myth: DMT and Bufo are the same drug.
- Fact: Their risks and effects are not the same.
5-MeO-DMT / Bufo
- Myth: Natural toad secretion is proven safer.
- Fact: We do not know that it is safer. Human safety research is limited.
Kratom & 7-OH products
- Myth: It is a proven treatment for opioid withdrawal.
- Fact: There is no FDA-approved kratom treatment.
Synthetic cannabinoids
- Myth: It is just another kind of weed.
- Fact: These products contain different, often unknown chemicals.
Xylazine
- Myth: Naloxone is useless if tranq is involved.
- Fact: Give it for possible opioids, which may also be present.
Sexual health
PrEP
- Myth: PrEP prevents every STI.
- Fact: PrEP helps prevent HIV. It does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy.
HIV: U = U
- Myth: A person with HIV can always pass it on through sex.
- Fact: A person who takes HIV treatment and gets and keeps an undetectable viral load will not pass HIV through sex. This does not prevent other STIs.
Condoms
- Myth: Condoms prevent every STI every time.
- Fact: Condoms lower the risk of HIV and many STIs when used correctly. They offer less protection against infections spread by skin that the condom does not cover.
STIs without symptoms
- Myth: I would know if I had an STI.
- Fact: Many sexually transmitted infections cause no symptoms. Testing can find infections you cannot see or feel.