Precum and Pregnancy: What You Need to Know About Withdrawal Method Effectiveness

Contraception has been a topic of discussion for some time. However, it is important to take action if you do not want to become pregnant unintentionally. Many couples consider ‘leaving church before singing’ as a convenient solution, but is this really that effective? What are the chances that you will still get pregnant if your partner withdraws prematurely?

Disclaimer: In this article, we use words such as men and women to refer to a person’s gender as determined by their chromosomes. It is not our intention to offend anyone with this.

What is premature withdrawal?

Premature withdrawal, also known as the pull out method of intercourse interrupted, is a form of contraception in which the man withdraws his penis from the vagina before ejaculation. The idea is that this prevents sperm from coming into contact with the vagina, so that fertilization does not occur. But is that correct?

Although premature withdrawal seems simple and convenient at first glance, it is important to understand its effectiveness. Contrary to popular belief, semen can soak into precum. This can lead to pregnancy. Research shows that premature withdrawal is not as reliable as other contraceptive methods, such as condoms or hormonal birth control. According to studies, this method can have a failure rate of about 19 or 2o percent. This means that almost 1 in 4 women can become pregnant within a year after having sex with only premature withdrawal. Premature withdrawal is therefore not very reliable.

What is precum?

Precum is a clear, sticky fluid that is released from a man’s penis when he is aroused but has not yet ejaculated. It helps clear the way for sperm during sex.

Precum isn’t something you have control over. The release of precum is an involuntary bodily function that takes place just before ejaculation. This is why it does not work as well at preventing pregnancy as other contraceptives.

One of the biggest problems with premature withdrawal is that it is difficult to perform correctly, especially during moments of excitement and passion. Semen can be released before ejaculation and then mix with precum, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy even if the man withdraws his penis in time.

In addition, this method does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which is an important consideration when having sexual contact with new or unknown partners.

Can you get pregnant from precum?

Many people think that precum does not contain sperm, so there is no risk of unintended pregnancy. But that is not true. It is indeed possible to get pregnant through precum.

Officially, precum does not contain semen, but it is possible for semen to leak into the precum. The sperm cells can also remain in your urethra after ejaculation, allowing it to mix with precum the next time. Research shows that in 17 percent of the participants had sperm present was in the precum. In another study, semen was collected 37 percent of precum samples found it. Peeing before sex may help flush out any remaining semen, but there is still a chance that semen will appear in the precum.

The influence of your menstrual cycle

It is also worth noting that the timing of the menstrual cycle may play a role in the effectiveness of premature withdrawal. Women are most fertile around the time of ovulation, which usually occurs about halfway through the cycle. If premature withdrawal is practiced during this period, the risk of pregnancy obviously increases.

But even if you’re not ovulating, you can get pregnant from precum. Although the chance is greatest during ovulation, sperm can survive in your body for up to five days. This means that if sperm is in your reproductive tract before ovulation, it is possible that it is still alive during your ovulation. This means you have a greater chance of becoming pregnant if you have sex regularly for five days before and on the day you ovulate. This is also called the fertile period. Do you have irregular periods? It can then be difficult to estimate your ovulation, which can cause more uncertainty.

Different types of contraception

In short: the pull out method is not an effective way to prevent pregnancy.