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5 myths about pulling out, busted

The withdrawal method, a.k.a. pulling out, sometimes gets a bad rap—some people don’t even consider it a “real” method of birth control, even though 60% of couples have used it at least once. Because pulling out is often dismissed as “better than nothing” by researchers, we don’t know as much about it as we do about some other methods. But before you write it off, make sure you’ve got your facts straight.

Myth 1: Pulling out doesn’t work, so don’t even bother.

Out of 100 couples who were withdrawal rock stars—meaning they pulled out correctly every time they had sex—about four of them would get pregnant in a year. But it can be a challenge to pull out for…

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Featured

 Can You Prevent Pregnancy with the Pullout Method?

An investigation into one of the biggest misconceptions in male fertility.

 The 'pull out' birth control method may be more effective than you think

There's a method of birth control at which people often shake their heads, because it doesn't feel like much of a method at all. If you've done it, chances are you're probably not too forthcoming about it because of the bad rap it has received.

Articles of Interest

How and When to Use the 'Pull-Out' Method

As women and couples begin rethinking hormonal contraception, old-fashioned methods of birth control are making a comeback. But are they effective? They can be. Here's how.

In defense of withdrawal: women explain why they love the pull-out method

With millions of women relying on it for their primary form of birth control, we thought we'd ask around and find out what it is women love so much about the pull-out method and why it works for them.

Nearly One in Three Young Women Has Relied on the “Pull Out” Method of Birth Control

Still, the study’s results are worrisome because women who had relied on their partners to “pull out,” even sporadically, instead of more reliable and controllable methods—such as hormonal contraception or condoms—had higher unintended pregnancy rates than women who hadn’t.

No Pill? No Prob. Meet the Pullout Generation

It’s no coincidence that the pullout advocates I know are women who have been sleeping with the same man for years. More than any other birth-control choice, the pullout method requires women to relinquish control and put a significant amount of trust in their partner. But it also comes with the benefit of sharing the burden of preventing pregnancy. After years of being the ones who had to remember to take a pill or replace the ring, pullout puts the onus on men.

Pull out all the stops: Doubling up with withdrawal

The oldest method of birth control is still going strong—and it plays well with others.

Pulling Out Is as Effective as Using Condoms

Studies show that pulling out is as effective as condom use. Why do we still consider it irresponsible and lazy?

Science Confirms The Obvious: The Pull-Out Method Is Not Great For Avoiding Pregnancy

The biggest issue with the results of the study is that it suggests more women than previously thought are using the pull-out method, which, aside from being a not-very-effective means of contraception also provides precisely zero protection from sexually transmitted diseases. So, final judgment? The pull-out method: not one of the better methods.

The One Birth Control Method No One Wants to Talk About

According to a recent Mic poll of 90 millennial men and women, plenty of people are still using the pullout method well into adulthood. While many use it as a secondary form of birth control in conjunction with hormonal contraception or condoms, there are those of us who are ashamed to admit to using it — because we did it when we were drunk, or when we couldn't remember our last few periods, or when we were just too damn lazy to go buy condoms.

Why Are Women Switching from the Pill to the Pullout Method?

Friedman cites a number of reasons that withdrawal is popular with the thirtysomething set. They want men to take on more responsibility. They are more likely to be in long-term relationships and feel more confident that their partners will demonstrate self-control. I don't doubt that these are factors, but there's another big one that Friedman doesn't mention: These women and their partners are more open to having kids than they were in their twenties.

Why So Many Young Women Love The ‘Pull-Out Method’

Women have more contraceptive options than ever. So why are many of them all about withdrawal?

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Your Life

This is not a method that would be recommended by healthcare providers, or by the millions of people who tried it, put an early stop to the fun, and got unplanned pregnant anyway.

BirthControl.com

Withdrawal will result in pregnancy in 4 out of 100 women who use this as their only form of birth control for one year. This is assuming perfect technique is employed. Assuming the technique is sometimes poorly employed, it will result in pregnancy in 27 out of 100 women who use this as their only form of birth control for one year.