Sex: is the withdrawal method effective?

The withdrawal method, or coitus interruptus, is a method of contraception recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) but considered one of the least effective. In fact, per year, there are 20 pregnancies per 100 women using this method.

Withdrawal: a problematic method of contraception

“The withdrawal method involves asking the man to withdraw before ejaculation, so there must have been penetrative sex and asking the man not to ejaculate in his partner’s vagina. , indicates Philippe Faucher, gynecologist, at the microphone of 20 minutes. This would prevent the presence of sperm in the female genital tract and therefore the fertilization of an egg and the creation of an embryo.”

There are several problems with this method: the man must control his ejaculation, which is sometimes difficult, and sperm may also be present in the pre-ejaculatory fluid or pre-seminal. But there are also advantages to the withdrawal method: the fact that it is free and without a prescription.

According to QuestionSexualite.fra portal dedicated to the sexuality of all French people, the failure rate of this method ranges from 4% (perfect use) to 22% (actual use: effectiveness measured in everyday life, taking into account errors of use, omissions).

Withdrawal does not protect against sexually transmitted infections

“In optimal use, as with all other means of contraception, there are fewer pregnancies that occur and in current use, there are more, Sacha Caline, contraception representative Family planning. By looking at the WHO standards on contraceptive methods we realize that it is a method of contraception which is among the so-called effective methods, that is to say that there are approximately four pregnancies out of 100 which occur in the year following use, which is a fairly low rate, relative to other methods of contraception and especially, relative to the absence of a method of contraception.”

On the other hand, this method does not protect at all against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) : hepatitis B, genital herpes, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc. “It is only the condom that provides both contraception and prevention of STIs, (…) it is a message that we give every time, explains Philippe Faucher. If it is a woman who has only one partner, who has already been tested for STIs, we can consider that the risk is very low. Now if it is a woman who has several partners, who changes partners, we really need to inform her about screening.”

In 2021, 5.7 million HIV serologies were carried out by medical biology laboratories, according to Public Health France.