Whether because of broken condoms, forgotten pills, or poor choices later on likewise much tequila, there are lots of surprise pregnancies that come through my practice. But, truth be told, some of these "surprise" pregnancies really shouldn't exist a surprise at all – the couples weren't using reliable contraception. In fact, information technology's non unusual for me to run into "existence careful" listed equally the method of contraception on a patient's intake paperwork (these women are often back in the part for pregnancy appointments soon later on). Fifty-fifty though effective contraception is more accessible than ever, there are still a lot couples practicing culling or inconsistent means of fugitive pregnancy.

If you lot're taking a DIY approach to contraception, and yous truly do want to avert pregnancy, it'south important to understand just how effective (or ineffective) your approach really is:

  • "Withdrawal" or the "pull out" method. This is when men remove their penis before ejaculation and eolith their semen outside the vagina. This method is ripe with possible errors and has a high failure rate. The first trouble is that at that place can be sperm in the pre-ejaculate (the small amount of lubricating fluid that comes out earlier or ejaculation), so if you are going to use withdrawal as contraception, the penis should ideally be wiped with an booze swab before insertion. The next issue is that, to be effective, the timing would demand to exist but right. If semen is deposited even at that vaginal opening, then a pregnancy tin occur. It should be noted that excessive alcohol intake tin impact the effectiveness of this method.
  • Anal sex activity. Many women accept very short perineums (skin between rectum and vagina), so if yous are practicing anal sex activity simply to avoid pregnancy that'due south non the all-time idea. If semen ends upwards on the perineum, a particularly good swimmer could swim up through the vagina and find themselves an egg. While I'm not enlightened of any studies that take looked at this, it is theoretically possible to get pregnant from anal sex.
  • "Outer form." Basically this means foreplay without any penetration (not even the tip!). As long as the semen is non deposited near the vaginal opening, pregnancy should not occur. Sperm cannot alive on other parts if the trunk, it needs moisture to live. One time semen dries, the sperm die. Keep in heed, as with the "withdrawal" method, also much alcohol tin farther increase the risk associated with this method.
  • Oral Sex. Whether you are on the giving or receiving end, you cannot get significant from oral sex. While sperm can live up to five days inside a woman's body, that is only in the vagina not the digestive track. You cannot get meaning from swallowing semen. Oral sex is not entirely without adventure, though – whatever mouth to genital contact (or genital to genital) can transmit sexually transmitted infections.

If you are serious about avoiding pregnancy, your all-time bet is to use a medically-proven method of contraception. Your doctor tin aid y'all sort out the options and cull the right one for yous– and so you lot tin go from "being careful" to being truly protected.