Pulling Out Might Help You Out (But Keep Using Condoms)- Intro.
Pull-out or withdrawal (coitus interruptus) is the method by which the male sexual partner pulls his penis out of the vagina and blows it out during sex. It’s a 1,000-year-old practice and while not a reliable form of contraception, some new research suggests it works much better than originally thought. But just keep in mind that withdrawal is not immune to STIs, and it is also deeply corrupted by human negligence. Hence the suggestion to stick with condoms and pull-out as much as possible to help protect you from unwanted pregnancies and STIs.
The Case for “Pulling Out”
Though hard-won, the withdrawal approach has proved beneficial to many individuals and couples for a wide range of reasons:
Non-hormonal: One of the best benefits of pulling out is that it’s not a hormone. Withdrawal is a potential alternative for those who are sensitive to the side effects of hormonal contraceptives.
Accessibility: The procedure does not require a prescription or healthcare services, which makes it affordable for a wide range of people.
Reinforcement of Awareness: When couples engage in withdrawal, it requires them to communicate and become more aware of each other’s body and timing, which can be a key to intimacy.
Temporary Solution: When couples are not ready to commit to permanent birth control treatments, withdrawal is a temporary intervention.
Effectiveness of the Pull-out Method
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pull-out has an average use failure of around 22 per cent, or about 22 in 100 women whose partners implement the method become pregnant within a year (CDC, 2020). It’s far more prone to malfunction than other forms of birth control, including intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants and hormonal approaches, including the pill, patch or ring. In addition, pull-out is a process that requires the male partner to find the “point of no return” and then pull out before ejaculation, something even the best performers cannot do.
But, as one paper in Social Science & Medicine (2018) argues, the pull-out tactic can be much more effective in practice than it seems (Trussell & Kohn, 2018). The researchers surveyed nearly 5,000 couples in 10 low- and middle-income countries and recorded an 18% average use failure rate for the pull-out method. This is far more effective than more traditional approaches, but still less successful than the CDC’s 22% failure rate.
Reasons Behind the Pull-out Method’s Failings
The pull-out method is not as safe as other forms of birth control for several reasons:
1. Pre-Ejaculate: The Hidden Threat
Pre-ejaculate fluid (“pre-cum”) is the major drawback to pull-out. This transparent, oily substance leaks from the penis during ejaculation and sex. Most of all, pre-ejaculate is sperm-loaded, so even if you withdraw before the partner’s ejaculates, sperm might still leak out of the vagina. It can make you pregnant without you even knowing it.
2. Challenges of Timing and Accuracy
In the pull-out method, the male partner anticipates the next ejaculation at the correct moment and pops out before it’s too late. This sounds pretty straightforward, but it’s actually very deliberate planning, repetition and discipline. Too often, men underestimate this limit and will be held back or ejaculated early. Even highly adamant totalists get torn to shreds when something is incredibly emotional or stressful. No pregnancy will ever be.
3. The Role of Human Error
The pull-out strategy is reliant on human action and decision-making in a way that leaves no room for mistake. Divorce, acting poorly, mental condition and so on can affect the way the technique is used. For instance, when one partner becomes distracted, withdrawal fails to happen immediately, or one partner becomes uninterested in the activity. Human errands add up, and increase the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.
Condoms as a Complementary Method
If you don’t want to get fucked out, we advise that you carry condoms. Condoms stop sperm and STIs from invading the vagina, and therefore save lives when it comes to sex safety.
Use condoms Pull-out avoids some of the limitations of the second:
1. STI Protection
The drawback to the pull-out is an inability to protect itself from sexually transmitted pathogens. HIV, gonorrhoea and chlamydia are all sexually transmitted infections, and pull-out doesn’t preclude one partner contracting them. Or use it along with condoms, which are far safer and less likely to lead both partners to develop STIs. Condoms protect against infection, and promote closeness and laughter among partners.
2. Reducing Exposure to Pre-ejaculate Risk.
Pre-ejaculate fluid is the second major drawback to the pull-out protocol as a monoclonal antiretroviral. Pre-cum (or sperm) can also occur months before ejaculation. It can travel through the vagina and sneak in during pregnancy after withdrawal has occurred. That’s exposure you could entirely avoid with a condom. The condom is wrapped around the penis’s head to catch any pre-ejaculate secretions that might remain there, and thus shortens the time it takes for sperm to reach the vagina. And this little extra step really perks the couples up that they can have sex without their eyes bugging.
3. Extra Protection against Pregnancy
The pull-out strategy, although useful if carried out properly, demands high levels of self-control, timing and verbal coordination among partners. Even the most careful priests experience abortion-related accidents every so often. Even the less than perfect condoms provide some protection. When administered correctly and regularly, they will substantially reduce pregnancy rates. And thus they impose an inequitable measure of contraception should an unwanted pregnancy arise: on the potential risks, short- and long-term, of this form of birth control, and on the pull-out.
Communication and Responsibility
After all, whether or not the withdrawal strategy works is dependent on how well partners communicate and take responsibility. Conversations about frequency, ease and consent are essential to all forms of contraception, but especially withdrawal. The partners should participate in both understanding and practicing the method appropriately.
For couples who choose to resort to withdrawal, monitoring menstrual cycles and knowing fertile days can help, too. Knowing more about fertility, conception and reproductive health can enable couples to be in control of their sex lives.
Conclusion: You Might Have To Leave (Stop Using Condoms)
And even if the pull-out method works better than we imagined, it still doesn’t quite work as well as other methods of birth control. Because it is a multifactorial risk factor (primarily during pregnancy and STDs), wearing condoms in addition to pulling-out can also keep you as safe as possible. It requires information, consent and ongoing education on sexual health and contraception to do it right, and to keep everyone safe.
