You forward to all in your address book. All of those people forward to everyone in their address book. Next thing you know, the rumour's everywhere, like Chinese Whispers on steroids. It's hard to know what's true and what's hooey these days, so WH launched the BS Meter. We were inundated with queries about urban myths, old wives' tales and weird stuff that's gotta be falser than Bert Newton's hair. So we enlisted the help of our WH experts to help us find the answers. Let the investigation begin...

If I suppress a sneeze, can I damage my organs?

"This one looks so much like BS I almost dismissed it, but a little research revealed some interesting - if only theoretical - problems," says Dr Mansberg. "You have a little Eustachian tube that goes between your middle ear and throat, which helps equalise pressure. Once a sneeze starts, if you try to stop it, air is forced from the throat via this tube into the middle ear." In theory, this could cause an enormous amount of pressure that could damage your ears. "I can reassure you nothing's going to explode. But I wouldn't make a habit of it," advises Dr Mansberg.

Does knuckle-cracking cause arthritis?

BS, according to Professor Graeme Jones, medical director of Arthritis Australia. In a study of 300 people aged over 45 published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, knuckle-crackers were no more likely to develop arthritis than non-crackers. But they were more likely to experience hand swelling and loss of grip strength.

My boyfriend's cheated in the past. Will he cheat on me?

You know the cliché: "A leopard never changes his spots". Not necessarily. We sounded out Dr Coventry. "If a potential partner got away with it before, he's more likely to do it again - if the going gets rough. But before you write him off, ask for details: when and why he did he cheat; does he regret it? If he cheated as a 17-year-old in an alcohol-fuelled rendezvous, it may not be an accurate reflection of him at 35, now that the sins of the past have sobered him up."

If I don't use it, will my muscle turn to fat?

Uh, no. Bridges explains, "It is physiologically impossible for muscle to become fat as it's made up of a different type of cell. If muscles aren't used they get smaller - but you'll still have the same number of muscle cells." Unused kilojoules are stored as fat. And smaller muscles bring your metabolic rate down. So if you take in the same amount of energy when you're not exercising as when you were working harder than a Russian gymnast, you'll gain weight (fat).

Is non-organic chicken pumped full of hormones?

Falser than air-kissing, even though 80 per cent of Aussies believe it to be true*. "The use of hormones in poultry was banned more than 40 years ago," says Natoli. According to the Australian Chicken Meat Federation, independent tests by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry confirm that Australian chicken is free of added hormones. The reason chooks are bigger than they used to be is due to "selective breeding and optimal nutrition", says the Federation's website. Antibiotics are given to chickens, but the Department conducts surveys annually to check that no antibiotics are found in the chicken meat that ends up in your trolley. So, why the rumours that chicken meat beefs up your boobs? Possibly thanks to a TV show in 1985 in which hormonal abnormalities in women in Puerto Rico were linked to feeding of oestrogen to chickens.

Can semen act as an antidepressant?

Apparently. In a study published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour, a researcher at the State University of New York found that the more a woman was exposed to semen through sex without a condom, the less likely she was to be depressed. (How did he get funding for that?) But before you toss the rubbers, remember you'll probably be more depressed when you contract an STI, says Dr Deborah Bateson, Medical and Research Coordinator at Family Planning NSW. "The risk of an STI or an unwanted pregnancy far outweighs any psychological benefits of semen exposure," she says. WH's Dr Green agrees. "There are evidence-based treatments for depression that don't come with the same risks. Cognitive behavioural therapy is the most researched psychological therapy for depression." Not bareback riding.

Could I cause an explosion by using my mobile at a service station?

It's unlikely. Because in the history of mobile phones, it has never, ever happened. A University of Kent, UK, study found that of 243 petrol station fires, not one was caused by a handset. "The signs are there to play it safe, because no-one can calculate the odds of it happening. It is, in theory, possible," says spokesman for WorkCover, John Kirby. The amount of energy needed for a spark to ignite petrol vapour is one five-millionth of the energy stored in a phone battery, but mobiles don't create a spark. "The chances of a phone causing a fire is negligible," adds Kirby.

Do we earn less than men?

Hmm, tricky. "Gen Y women have, overall, achieved equal pay," Davies says. However, a recent study of 300,000 people in 20 countries found the pay gap between men and women is 22 per cent - higher than previous estimates of 16.5 per cent.

And then the recent AMP.NATSEM Income & Wealth report tells us that a man has the potential to earn more over a lifetime. Um, please explain? "Women are more likely to take time off work to raise a family," says Riyana Miranti, co-author of the report.

For more B.S. Meter questions (including does drinking on antibiotics make you drunker and the truth about the 5 second rule) - click here

Felicity Percival on cracking urban myths @ Yahoo!7 Video

Got a question for the B.S. Meter - click here.