{"id":234,"date":"2019-03-27T09:57:05","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T13:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.oviahealth.com\/guide\/234\/is-pull-out-method-safe\/"},"modified":"2021-10-04T22:08:31","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T02:08:31","slug":"is-pull-out-method-safe","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/234\/is-pull-out-method-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the pull-out method safe?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The short answer to the question is &#8220;no.&#8221; Not only does the pull-out method, like most types of birth control, not protect against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/101277\/sexual-health-5-common-stds\/\">STIs or STDs<\/a>, but a significant amount of the time, it doesn\u2019t protect against pregnancy that well either.<\/p>\n<h2>How effective is the pull-out method anyway?<\/h2>\n<p>Part of this has to do with execution &#8211; many people who put their faith in the pull-out method have occasional slip-ups, and couples who don\u2019t manage to pull out before ejaculation every time run a 27% risk of pregnancy, though couples who <em>do<\/em> get it right every time have only a 4% chance of conception.<\/p>\n<h3>Is there a chance of conception if everything goes right?<\/h3>\n<p>If, during intercourse, your partner pulls out before ejaculation every time, it\u2019s true that no semen from ejaculation gets into your body. But pre-ejaculate, which is present throughout intercourse instead of just at the end, can also carry sperm. It\u2019s in a much lower concentration, and studies show that it isn\u2019t always there &#8211; which may be why the success rate on pulling out when you do it perfectly is actually relatively high &#8211; but it is still there.<\/p>\n<h3>What are the benefits?<\/h3>\n<p>There are a lot of things that are attractive about the pull-out method &#8211; it\u2019s free, it doesn\u2019t require any planning ahead, and it doesn\u2019t put any hormones into your body. On the other hand, it requires a lot of trust in your partner\u2019s self-control, and even when it\u2019s done perfectly, it carries about a 1 in 25 chance of pregnancy.<\/p>\n<h3>The bottom line<\/h3>\n<p>If you want to make sure that you do&nbsp;<em>not<\/em> conceive, the pull-out method isn\u2019t 100% effective. However, using the pull-out method along with fertility tracking, and avoiding the pull-out method during your fertile times can help cut down on the chances that you will get pregnant. If you have questions about preventing pregnancy and are wondering what sort of birth control options would be best for you &#8211; and there are a lot&nbsp;of options available &#8211; be sure to talk to your healthcare provider to learn more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The pull-out method is commonly used to avoid pregnancy, but does it actually work as a means of birth control? And what about STIs and STDs? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158902,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ovia_author_name":"","ovia_author_prefix":"","ovia_author_image":"","ovia_content_type_id":"176","ovia_product_mode":"2","ovia_days_from_signup":"10","ovia_days_from_lmp":"","ovia_days_from_baby_birth":"","ovia_days_from_enroll":"","ovia_health_module_days_from":"","ovia_article_for_email_days_from":"","ovia_health_module":"","ovia_legacy_id2":"234","ovia_ttc":"2","ovia_article_subtype":"","ovia_health_symptom":"","ovia_partner_id":"","ovia_partner_custom_group":"","ovia_legacy_category":"113","ovia_legacy_category2":"","ovia_content_url_id":"39000","ovia_include_share_buttons":"","ovia_fertility_goal":"1","ovia_secondary_module":"","ovia_trimester":"","ovia_child_age":"","ovia_share_image":"","ovia_more_menu_image":"","ovia_button1_url":"","ovia_days_from_postpartum":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"fert-category":[13,10,16,15],"preg-category":[],"parent-category":[],"fert-tag":[185,156,191,189,184],"preg-tag":[],"parent-tag":[],"class_list":["post-234","article","type-article","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","fert-category-birth-control","fert-category-reproductive-health","fert-category-reproductive-healthcare","fert-category-sex-and-intimacy","fert-tag-communication-with-partner","fert-tag-ovulation-cycle","fert-tag-patient-self-advocacy","fert-tag-reproductive-health-care-providers","fert-tag-sex"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How effective is the pull-out method? 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