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contraception : natural methods
Withdrawal
coitus interruptus or "pulling out"
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Withdrawal is when the man senses that he is about to come, and he pulls his penis out of the vagina. He ejaculates (comes) outside of the vagina. Sperm is not deposited in the vagina, so pregnancy will not occur. This 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. It is completely private.
  • 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 into the woman’s vagina. This means that there is slightly less chance of infection spreading from a man to a woman.
  • Withdrawal causes no medical complications. There are no hormones involved.
  • No supplies are required. Withdrawal is free (except for the cost of an unintended pregnancy should a failure occur).
  • With practice, withdrawal may increase a man's understanding and awareness of his sexual response cycle.
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.


What if I have sex and don't use birth control?
For 72 hours AFTER unprotected sex, you can take emergency contraceptive pills to avoid becoming pregnant. For up to 7 days AFTER unprotected sex, you can have an IUD put in. Not all clinicians know about emergency contraception. If you want more information or would like the phone numbers of clinicians near you who prescribe emergency contraception, CALL the toll-free hotline 1-888-NOT-2-LATE or 1-800-584-9911. Some of these sources of help are free.
  natural methods
abstinence
fertility awareness
 -symptothermal
 -temperature charting
breastfeeding
outercourse
coitus interuptus
 
Last Update: 09/10/2004
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