Pulling Out Is Surprisingly Considered An Effective Form Of Birth Control… Wait, What!?

Anyone who’s taken a sex ed class has heard that the pull-out method—or withdrawal—is an unreliable and dangerous form of contraception.  However, it's 2016 and the practice certainly isn’t going away.  In fact, an increasing number of women are using it.  Why?  Because it works!  Here, we dish out the truth behind how pulling out is, in fact, an effective form of birth control.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that withdrawal is the second-most commonly tried form of contraception among teenagers. Horny teens aren’t the only ones pulling out, however.

About 60 percent of adult women in the U.S. have reported using the pull out method at least once, according to the CDC. Actual numbers are probably even higher, though, since many people don’t regard the practice as a “legitimate” form of birth control. Well, it’s definitely legit.

When practiced perfectly (when the male pulls out before ejaculation), pulling out is about as effective as condoms at preventing pregnancy. Yeah, seriously. Although most people wag their finger at merely the idea of withdrawal, research puts it on par with the mighty rubber.

"Withdrawal... is about as effective as condoms at preventing pregnancy” reads a 2014 study published by Contraception, a journal on reproduction. Yeah, we already said it, but we know you needed some proof.

When practiced perfectly, only 4 percent of couples who use the pull out method will get pregnant within a year. Of course, this depends on the male partner’s self-knowledge and self-control.

When practiced imperfectly, that number increases to 18 percent. While it might not be 4 percent, it still ain’t so bad.

Most sexually active adults know that condoms remain the only way to prevent STIs. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that pulling out doesn’t work in the prevention of pregnancies—because it does.

Rachel K. Jones, principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute and author of two important studies about withdrawal, writes: “If more people realized that correct and consistent use of withdrawal substantially reduced the risk of pregnancy, they might use it more effectively."

For women who don’t enjoy sex with a condom, feel reluctant about taking the pill, or have heard over a dozen IUD horror stories, the pull-out method is a viable option in reducing the possibility of an unintended pregnancy. And—unlike other forms of birth control—it’s absolutely free. (There's always the risk of STIs, though.)

Oh, and pre-ejaculate fluid? Most research has found that the majority of pre-ejaculate fluid has dead or no sperm at all, according to AmericanPregnancy.org.

While it is possible for small amounts of sperm to make its way into the pre-ejaculate, the chances are slim. In other words, yes, it is possible to get pregnant from pre-ejaculate, but it’s not likely.

There’s also the fact that no one profits from the pull out method, so it’s more difficult to find funding to regularly test it and to get the word out there about its effectiveness. But that’s a whole 'nother story…