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</ iframe > </noscript> <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) --><div id="header"> <div id="CClogo"><a href="https://www.cookchildrens.org"><span class="srText">Cook Children's</span></a></div> <div id="CCsearch"> <form id="searchform" name="searchform" method="GET" onsubmit="return (this.q.value == '') ? false : true;" action="/CookChildrens/en/parents/"> <input type="hidden" name="search" value="y"/> <input type="hidden" name="getfields" value="description"/> <input type="search" class="search" name="q" id="q" maxlength="256" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" placeholder="Search"/> <input type="hidden" name="datasource" value="cookchildrens"> <input type="hidden" name="start" value="0"> <input type="hidden" name="rows" value="10"> <input type="hidden" name="lang" value="english"> <input type="hidden" name="section" value="parents_teens_kids"> <input type="submit" value="" id="searchButton" class="buttonImage"/> </form> </div> </div> <!-- If we have main navigation separated then it will reside here --> <div id="thelou" tabindex="-1"> </div> <div id="mainContentContainer" class="kh-article-page"> <div id="rsSearchBrowse"> <div id="rsBrowse" role="navigation"> </div> <div id="rsSearch"> <div id="rsSectionLabel">teens</div> </div> </div> <div id="khContentHeading" class="ar licH"> <h1>Withdrawal</h1> </div> <div class="clearBox"> </div> <div id="khcontent"> <div id="xp1"> </div><br clear="all" style="width: 0; height: 0; line-height: 0; font-size: 0;"><div id="khcontent_article" lang="en-us"> <div id="NavigatePage1"> <div id="whichRead_1"><span class="ISI_MESSAGE"><!-- The following article is brought to you by CookChildrens. --></span><div class="rs_skip rs_skip_en rsbtn_kidshealth rs_preserve" id="readspeaker_button1"><script> var theRSURL = (escape(document.location.href)); var rsAudioTitle = document.title.replace(/ |\'|\?/g,"_"); var whichReadPage = 1; var doesItGotFlash = ''; makeTheRSLinkEN(); var readSpeakerDownloadLink = "//app-na.readspeaker.com/cgi-bin/rsent?customerid=5202&lang=en_us&voice=Kate&speed=100&readid=khcontent_article&url="+theRSURL+"&audiofilename=KidsHealth_"+rsAudioTitle+""; </script></div> <!--googleoff:all--> <div id="languagePairLink" class="rs_skip"><a href="/CookChildrens/es/teens/contraception-withdrawal.html"><span class="pairedURLHead" lang="es">en español<img src="/images/n00/icons/langPairArrow.svg" alt=""></span><span class="pairedURLBody" lang="es">Marcha atrás</span></a></div> <!--googleon:all--><div class="rte-image"><!--<sly data-sly-test.buttonBorder="khb-noborder"></sly> --><h3>What Is Withdrawal?</h3><p>Withdrawal, also called pulling out, is when a male removes his <a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/male-repro.html">penis</a> from the <a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/female-repro.html">vagina</a> before he ejaculates during sex.</p><h3>How Does Withdrawal Work?</h3><p>By trying to keep sperm from entering the vagina, a person using withdrawal hopes to prevent pregnancy.</p><h3>How Well Does Withdrawal Work to Prevent Pregnancy?</h3><p>Over the course of a year, about 22 out of 100 typical couples who use withdrawal alone to prevent pregnancy will have an accidental pregnancy.</p><p>Even for people who think they are doing it correctly, withdrawal is not an effective way to prevent pregnancy. Some sperm leak out of the penis even before ejaculation. So even by pulling out before ejaculation, pregnancy can still happen. Also, if the guy ejaculates close to the outside of the vagina, the sperm can swim up into the vagina. Still, withdrawal is considered a better method of <a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/contraception.html">contraception</a> than none at all.</p><h3>Does Withdrawal Help Prevent STDs?</h3><p>No. Withdrawal does not protect against <a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/std.html">STDs</a>. Couples having sex must always use <a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/contraception-condom.html">condoms</a> to protect against STDs even when using another method of <a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/bc-chart.html">birth control</a>.</p><h3>When Should I Call the Doctor?</h3><p>Call the doctor if you used the withdrawal method and are concerned that you:</p><ul><li>might be pregnant</li><li>have a change in the smell or color of <a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/vdischarge2.html">vaginal discharge</a></li><li>have unexplained fever or chills</li><li>have belly or pelvic pain</li><li>have pain during sex</li></ul></div> <div id="reviewerBox"> <div id="reviewedBy">Medically reviewed by: Lonna P. Gordon, MD</div> <div id="reviewedDate">Date reviewed: January 2022</div> </div><span class="ISI_MESSAGE"><!--Thank you for listening to this KidsHealth audio cast. The information you heard, is for educational purposes only. If you need medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment, consult your doctor. 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