Long before there were pills and coils and condoms and IUDs, coitus interruptus *(more commonly known as the pullout method) was the most popular forms of birth control.
It was ineffective but it was all they had so it was deemed better than nothing.
Despite the wealth of choice available these days however, it seems many couples are still relying on the old school withdrawal to prevent pregnancy… with a failure rate of 28 per cent.
According to a survey by the Fertility app Glow, 18 per cent of users rely on withdrawal for birth control, making it the third most popular method. While condoms are 98 per cent effective and the pill is 99 per cent trustworthy, studies have shown that of 100 women who practice withdrawal for 12 months, 28 will get pregnant.
The problem is human error (not pulling out in time) and pre-ejaculate, which can contain live sperm.
In short, unless you’re at least comfortable with the idea of becoming pregnant, pick another form of birth control.
