How Effective is the Withdrawal Method?

Dear Aunt Flo,

My boyfriend told me that the withdrawal method of birth control is very effective birth control and we won't have to worry about my accidently getting pregnant. Is he right? Is it really that effective, or should we be using a different method of birth control?

Signed,
Not Ready To Be Mommy


Dear Not Ready,

Honey, your boyfriend is very misinformed about the withdrawal method. The withdrawal method of birth control is NOT that effective and fails more than 20% of the time with "perfect" use, and the failure rate with "average" use is much closer to 35%. If you are not ready to get pregnant, you need to insist on a much more effective birth control method, and there are may available today. I would strongly recommend that you insist on using condoms (when used correctly they are over 97% effective) until you and your boyfriend can do some research and find an effective method of birth control that you both agree on using.

Aunt Flo


Unfortunately this is a question that is asked a lot. Getting second, third or even fourth hand information about birth control is usually incorrect, and sometimes just down right wrong. The best thing you can do is to ask a health care professional (doctor, nurse, midwife, pharmacist, or trained NFP instructor) about the different methods that are available, how effective they are, and what the most common side effects are too.

Introduction to Ask Aunt Flo

This blog will have several purposes, but first and foremost is that I want to educate you by answering your questions. We all have questions but we don't always know who to ask to get the best and most accurate answer, or we think that the question we have is so "weird" and so far out of left field that no matter who we ask we will be laughed at for asking it. That will not happen here. Here you can ask your most embarrassing questions and use a pen name, nickname or just sign it anonymously and get the information you have been wanting.

Now, I will not share any personally identifying information with anyone when answering any questions, and if need be I will anonymize your name. When posting any submitted question to the blog so that I can answer it, I will do the following - correct spelling errors and minor grammar errors, anonymize the name of the questioner, and edit out any foul language. I will use medical terms when needed and will explain what they mean or what they are, always.

There are times when I will ask and answer my own questions for entertainment purposes only! These posts will be done with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek and should be read purely for their ability to make us laugh, mostly at me, but hopefully with me.

So why should you ask me your questions about birth control, fertility, infertility, trying to conceive or any related subject? Because I have been researching, reading and writing about those subjects since 1987, and have professionally written about the subjects off and on since 1997. I also took the Coursera course Contraception: Choices, Culture and Consequences and earned a 95% for the course. I have been answering questions about these subjects for many years, and I will continue to do so as long as someone has a question that needs an answer.