Withdrawal is a birth control method where a guy pulls his penis out of his partner’s vagina before he ejaculates, so that no semen enters her body. If he is able to pull out without releasing any semen on or near the opening of the vagina, then withdrawal is pretty effective. When used perfectly, withdrawal prevents pregnancy about 96 percent of the time. But that drops to a risky 73 percent with typical or “real world” use, because many guys don’t have enough control to pull out in time, especially when they’re so close to the pleasure of orgasm and ejaculation. It’s better than doing nothing, but there are many methods of birth control that are much more effective.

Keep in mind that pregnancy isn’t the only concern here. Even if a guy doesn’t ejaculate in his partner, he and his partner can be exposed to STDs by having unprotected sex. STDs can be spread through pre-cum and vaginal fluids, and in some cases (like herpes and HPV), through skin-to-skin contact.

If you want to make an appointment at a family planning clinic to be tested for pregnancy and/or STDs you can find one in your area checking out our Get Tested page. You can also click here to find a clinic near you, or call 1-800-230-PLAN (7526) to be connected automatically to the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.

Some people also practice withdrawal during anal sex, but the risk of spreading sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is still very high for the reasons listed above. Condoms are a much safer choice to avoid STDs and pregnancy. For more information and photos of all the birth control methods, go to the story “An A to Z of Contraception” by Claire Marchetta, 18, Staff Writer.