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AUDIO: Dr. Marty Klein - Is Pulling Out An Effective Pregnancy Prevention Method?

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No sex or marriage question is too embarrassing because it’s time to ask EmpowHer’s sexuality expert Dr. Marty Klein anything.

Now when you have questions about sexual health, you know, EmpowHer.com is a good place to go, like this woman did here. She says, “Dear Dr. Klein, I am newly married and my husband and I don’t use any contraceptives. He pulls it out just in time,” now presumably this woman means his penis. “He pulls it out just in time before ejaculating. Although he does this just at the nick of time every time, I wonder about the potential failure rate of this method. Any comments?”

Dr. Marty Klein:
Well, yeah, I actually do have a few comments about that. To answer your specific question, the failure rate of pulling out is as much as 28% with adults, and what that means is, one out of four people who use this method of pregnancy prevention get pregnant. So, it’s better than nothing, but you are taking a very, very big chance, and I am not exactly sure why.

There are a lot of methods out there. There’s condoms, there’s hormonal methods, there’s diaphragms, there’s new methods where you get a little implant, a removable implant once every three or four months, there’s a lot of different methods, there’s a new ring that you insert, and there are a lot of good websites where you can get information about contraception.

If you just, rather than tell you one, if you just Google “contraception information,” you will find plenty of information about contraception. So again, I am not sure why you are not using any method at all if you want to prevent pregnancy. If you are going to use this method of him pulling out just in time, if you are going to have intercourse twice in a row, make sure that he urinates in between because the acid in the urine, as well as the stream of the urine, helps to clear out the urethra of whatever sperm are hanging around.

Pulling out just before ejaculating, you know, can be kind of nerve-racking. Maybe you guys want to get into the habit of him pulling, if you are going to continue use this method of him pulling out before the last possible second. It will make life a lot more relaxed for him and therefore, for you as well.

If you have a question about sex or relationships, go to EmpowHer, click on the ”Ask” button, ask your question, and you will get plenty of attention from an expert who knows exactly what you need.

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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