How effective is "withdrawal method" for birth control

The "Withdrawal" or "Pull out" method is the WORST form of birth control available.

The effectiveness is around 72%. But keep in mind that your chances of pregnancy, even when you're ovulating are 50%. So, what does this means?

It means that out of 100 women every year, 50 will become pregnant if they have unprotected sex during ovulation. And 28 will become pregnant while using the infamous "pull out" method.

Some people disagree. And they usually give 2 different reasons. One is the "ability" a person has to "pull out" before ejaculation. The other is that pre - seminal fluid (That's constantly released during penetration) doesn't have an spermatic count.

These assumptions confuse people into relying in someone else's word to prevent pregnancies. And it's still uncertain if pre-seminal fluid has any spermatic count that could produce a pregnancy. So, studies have been conducted. The latest study I could found was published in 2011. 27 men provided 40 samples (Up to 5 separate samples each) of pre-ejaculatory secretions. Spermatozoa was found in the pre-seminal fluid of 41% of the men that participated in the studies. In 31% of the cases, the samples had spermatozoa with enough count and motility to produce a pregnancy. The interesting thing is that 41% of men were consistent in all of their samples. That means that sperm was found every time in some, and in neither of their samples in others. This study has one problem, and that is the limited number of people that participated. Still, the number and the results are consistent enough to raise doubts. Read this research study conducted by Killick and others.

So, we can actually deduce that maybe, just maybe, some people will have some level of spermatic count in their pre-ejaculatory secretions. And some won't. Do you really want to risk it and find out?

I don't.

So, this is my professional recommendation. If you're not ready to get pregnant, stay far away from this method, or use it in combination with another forms of birth control, like:

• Condoms: 78-80% effective. This is the only contraceptive method that will protect you against STI's.
• Contraceptive pills: 94.5% effective
• Injections: 96% effective
• Sub-dermal implants: 98% effective
• IUD's: 98 - 99% effective.

These are just a few of your available options. And most alternatives will be far safer than the "pull out method"

The only real way to completely reduce your chances of pregnancy is abstinence (But that's not an alternative I recommend if someone's specifically asking about contraception). The second best alternative is using 2 forms of birth control. Hormonal contraception + condoms will always be the safest way to have sex. You'll be protected against some STI's and at the same time, you'll significantly reduce the possibility of pregnancy.

If you use contraception appropriately, you follow all the instructions your midwife or gynecologist provides, and you are responsible, then you shouldn't have to worry about pregnancy. If you still decide to use the "pull out" method anyway, I wish you good luck.

Originally answered by Camila S. Espinoza on quora. Do visit her site for more information on such topics.