Withdrawal

What is withdrawal?

When the man senses that he is about to come, he pulls his penis out of the vagina. He ejaculates (comes) outside of the vagina. Since sperm is not deposited in the vagina, no fertilized egg is formed. Withdrawal takes a lot of discipline! If the woman has not had an orgasm, the man can stimulate her in other ways after withdrawal. It works best if the couple has agreed to use this method in advance. Among typical couples who use withdrawal, about 19% will experience an accidental pregnancy in the first year. If withdrawal is used consistently and correctly, about 4% will become pregnant.

Advantages:

• Withdrawal is always an option...no supplies are necessary and it's free.
• You may be surprised at how effective it is. It is definitely better than no birth control at all.
• No fluid, or much less fluid, is deposited in the woman's vagina. This means that there is somewhat less chance of infection spreading from the man to the woman.
• No medical complications are associated with withdrawal.

Disadvantages:

• Couples often want to keep thrusting when it is time for him to pull out.
• The man may worry, "Will I withdraw in time?" And the woman may worry, "Will he withdraw in time?" This concern may decrease their enjoyment of intercourse.
• Withdrawal provides poor protection against sexually transmitted infections including HIV (the AIDS virus). It's better to use withdrawal than nothing at all, but condoms are much more effective at preventing the spread of STDs.
• Sperm may be present in the fluid that comes out of the penis before ejaculation.