Pulling out isn't a very reliable way to prevent pregnancy. It works about 78% of the time, which means that over a year of using this method, 22 out of 100 women -- about 1 in 5 -- would get pregnant. By comparison, male condoms are 98% effective when used correctly every time.
For every 100 people who use the pull out method perfectly, 4 will get pregnant. But pulling out can be difficult to do perfectly. So in real life, about 22 out of 100 people who use withdrawal get pregnant every year — that's about 1 in 5.
The perfect-use failure rate for the pull-out method is 4 percent . This means that, when done perfectly, the pull-out method prevents pregnancy 96 percent of the time. Still, it's estimated 18 to 28 percent of couples using the method will get pregnant within the first year.
Pregnancy can happen if any semen gets in your vagina or on your vulva. So the best way to make the pull out method effective is to use it with another type of birth control (like the ring, pill, or condoms).
Pre-cum (also known as pre-ejaculate) is a small amount of fluid that comes out of your penis when you're turned on, but before you ejaculate (cum). Oozing pre-cum is involuntary — you can't control when it comes out, and you might not be able to feel it happening. Pre-cum doesn't usually have any sperm in it.
Researchers compiling surveys from more than 2,000 women ages 15 to 24 found 31 percent had used the pull-out method, also known as withdrawal or coitus interruptus, over the last two years. Of those women, 21 percent reported having an unintended pregnancy.
Using the withdrawal method for birth control requires self-control. Even then, the withdrawal method isn't an especially effective form of birth control. Sperm may enter the vagina if withdrawal isn't properly timed or if pre-ejaculation fluid contains sperm.
You're most fertile at the time of ovulation (when an egg is released from your ovaries), which usually occurs 12 to 14 days before your next period starts. This is the time of the month when you're most likely to get pregnant. It's unlikely that you'll get pregnant just after your period, although it can happen.
"The first fraction of ejaculate is the most effective for conception." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 May 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150526085347.htm>.
If you don't get pregnant after one year of trying, talk to your doctor. If you're 35 years old or older, you should see your doctor after six months of trying without success to get pregnant. If you have a possible sign of infertility before the one-year mark, your doctor can run some basic fertility tests.
Look for changes in your vaginal fluids that occur around cycle days eight to 14 (the days leading to ovulation, assuming a 28-day cycle). Ideally, you want to see a clear, slippery fluid that resembles raw egg whites (this is caused by the increased estrogen levels mid-cycle).
The pull-out method is also called coitus interruptus or the withdrawal method. Pulling out is less effective than other types of contraception (IUDs, birth control pills, condoms, etc.). It doesn't offer protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as condoms do.
Even if you pull out right before you climax during vaginal intercourse, pre-cum is still likely to enter your partner's vagina, which can lead to unintended pregnancy. Some research estimates that around 20% of people who use the withdrawal method will become pregnant in a year.
Your chances are very low. However, there are rare cases where living sperm can be present in the precum and conception subsequently possible. Precum is one reason that we suggest that all couples who are not trying to get pregnant use a condom the entire time there is penetration (when the penis enters the vagina).
What if I did not have penetrative sex? It is possible to get pregnant if sperm comes into contact with the vagina, if for example: your partner ejaculates very close to your vagina. your partner's erect penis comes into contact with your genital area (vagina or vulva)
A person can get pregnant right after their period. For this to occur, they have to have sex near the time of ovulation, which occurs when the ovaries release an egg. The closer to their period a person ovulates, the higher their chances of becoming pregnant right after a period.