The short explanation
Withdrawal, where the man pulls out before ejaculating, is less reliable than most other methods. In real-life use, about 20 out of 100 women relying on withdrawal become pregnant within a year. Even with perfect use, some pregnancies happen, because pre-ejaculate fluid can contain sperm and it can be hard to withdraw in time every time. If avoiding pregnancy is important to you, combining withdrawal with another method, or choosing a more reliable method, gives much better protection. Withdrawal also does not protect against sexually transmitted infections. You have the right to choose a method you feel confident about.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Fertility awareness methods, which track the fertile days, are also less reliable than pills, IUDs or implants, especially with irregular cycles.
- If a mistake happens, emergency contraception can be used.
- A doctor can explain options to both of you together if that helps.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This answer cannot tell your personal risk. A doctor can help you choose a method that suits your plans.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- How reliable is withdrawal compared to other methods?
- Which method would suit us better?
- Can you explain options to my husband and me together?
- What should we do if withdrawal fails?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Get help the same day
- Get emergency contraception the same day if withdrawal did not happen in time.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Book a routine appointment to discuss more reliable contraception.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Family planning and contraception methods World Health Organization
- Contraception NHS
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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