Gynaecological corner – “the pull-out” method

Frequently asked questions of young people refer to unreliable methods of protection against pregnancy, especially “the pull-out” method (Lat. coitus interruptus), when a man pulls his penis out of the vagina immediately before ejaculation after vaginal intercourse without the use of a condom. Ejecting semen outside the vagina prevents it from reaching the vagina.

This method of contraception is unreliable because a small amount of sperm can leak prior to ejaculation (preejaculate) and only one sperm is sufficient for achieving pregnancy. In addition, if repeated intercourse occurs in a short time, the man has not urinated, and washed his penis, sperm can be left behind which can lead to pregnancy. The failure rate of this method is 18%, which means that 18 out of 100 women who use this method of contraception become pregnant during the first year of use. In addition, this method does not protect against sexually transmitted infections, and requires great self-control of both partners, which is often difficult to achieve.