To be shocked at how many people use the "pull out method" to try to avoid pregnancy?

[PutThatDown10]

Long time member, first thread.

I have seen quite a few people claim to use the pull out method to avoid pregnancy... Am I only one who thinks this is insane and very unreliable?

I know no contraception is 100% and of course there are contraception failures but I think of all the methods that could be used, "pulling out" is not very viable? I've known a few who have got pregnant this way and am surprised at how many actually rely on this method.

Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think it's a great form of contraception if at all.

Yes it’s ridiculously stupid

I use it with DH when we don't want to TTC.

If you have regular periods and your partner is very careful and with a good control it cpild work fine.

You read all the time of contraception failure on here but it's mostly people who use it irregularly (when they can be bothered) or have a oops moment and forget about it. And regarding the pill, very few antibiotics interfere with it now (I was on it for a year).

Learnt all about pre-cum

Thought this wasn’t a thing (unless you have sex multiple times in a session, but old ‘uns like us don’t manage it!)

We use it, but you have to be disciplined about it. Works for us!

It just seems really messy and a bit of a mood killer surely?

Used it for years, worked fine for us. I call it 'Vatican roulette'

I don't think it's reliable at all op, yanbu.

I wouldn't dare. I've just come off the pill for non-TTC reasons, and am worried I'm becoming a bit phobic of sex even with a condom!

Been doing it for 15 years. Works for us!

Worked for us for 15 years!

We used the "pull out" method for years without any resultant pregnancy. We fell quickly when we actively tried for our DC and when we'd completed our family DH got the snip.

It wouldn't have been a big deal if I'd got pregnant during that time though. It would just be tinkering with timings rather than reshifting our future

A nurse told me, no sperm are released until orgasm. Is this true, or does the precum sneak a few out?

I think it depends really tbh. I don’t have regular periods but do have very obvious symptoms when I’m coming up to ovulation so we do a kind of casual NFP In conjunction. We’d be fine (if mildly alarmed) if I got pregnant (DS is 9 months now) and I really don’t respond well to synthetic hormones.

There's mixed research on the sperm in pre cum theory..

This is from the International Society of Sexual Medicine:

'Many people wonder whether a woman can get pregnant from pre-ejaculate fluid. The answer is yes – although this is not common.
Typically, precum does not contain any sperm. However, if a man has ejaculated recently, sperm cells might still be found in the urethra and mix with the pre-ejaculate fluid. When this happens, it is still possible for a woman to become pregnant. For example, if a man removes his penis from his partner’s vagina before ejaculating (“pulling out”), sperm in the precum can still travel up the vagina and fertilize an egg.'

But slightly differing info from studies here:

www.google.com/amp/s/helloclue.com/amp/articles/sex/can-you-get-pregnant-from-pre-cum

We used it for four or five years with no pregnancies. We then conceived fine when we did start TTC. We probably won't use it again as we don't want another, but I also don't want to rely on one method of contraception whatever it is so it's likely DP will get the snip instead.

I think we all just find what works for us. It does feel a riskier choice though.

My eldest was a 2 x contraception failure. Been on the pill for 12 years, no bother, knew about being ill etc. New partner so took the map as well, it was also my least fertile time if I’d been using the rhythm method.

Sometimes I think babies have other ideas.

I'm a pro-choice and English. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone as a contraception but I'm not going to pretend that it didn't work for us so as not to be confused with the American pro-lifers.

We use that method.

I have told hubby he'd better shut his gob if/when I get pregnant. But he would still prefer it to using a condom and I point blank refuse to subject myself to hormonal contraceptives anymore.

Only just managed to check replies... Interesting mix of opinions, I like hearing others views and experiences.

I'm still not convinced it's the best way to avoid pregnancy but whatever floats your boat as they say.

Obviously the best way to avoid pregnancy would be to not have sex but what's the fun in that eh?