5 Scary Statistics About The Pull-Out Method That'll Make You Think Twice About It

Despite the vast amount of options for contraception in the bedroom, an alarming amount of people are still relying on the pull-out method as a main form of birth control.

What is the "pull-out method," you ask? Well, allow me to explain.

The pull-out, or withdrawal, method is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It's a form of birth control where you rely on the guy pulling out of you before he ejaculates.

Planned Parenthood succinctly describes it this way:

Your penis has to be all the way out of your partner's vagina before you ejaculate, and then you have to ejaculate (cum) away from your partner's vulva and vagina.

As you can imagine, this tricky method leaves a lot of room for error and results in some pretty distressing statistics. Here are five scary stats about pulling out that'll make you think twice about using it.

1. An Alarming Number Of Girls Have Relied On The Pull-Out Method At Some Point

A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that a large majority of teen girls have used the pull-out method as their primary form of birth control.

If you're more of a numbers person, let me put it to you this way: 60 percent of teen girls admitted to relying on this method alone at some point in their lives.

2. More People Are Using The Pull-Out Method Than More Effective Contraceptive Methods, Like The IUD

Although condoms still beat out the pull-out method in popularity, the CDC found that 4.8 percent of their respondents have said they used the pull-out method, compared to a smaller 4.5 percent who reported using the much more effective IUD.

3. Women Think Using The Pull-Out Method Is Easier

A study by Glow, a fertility app, found that most women admit to using the pull-out method for one of two reasons: It's easier (32 percent), or it feels better (39 percent).

I think any women who have ever used the withdrawal method can relate to these feelings, but that being said, neither of those reasons take into account the risk associated with relying on such a tricky method.

Not to mention, dealing with things like unplanned pregnancy or an STD, as a result of using the pull-out method, won't be so easy.

4. Even If It's Being Executed Perfectly, Withdrawal Can Still Result In Pregnancy

On the off chance that a guy is some sort of pro in the sack, knows exactly what he's doing, and manages to successfully pull out at the perfect moment — and also manages to avoid getting semen (pre-cum included) anywhere near a girl's privates — the unfortunate fact of the matter is, there's still a chance a woman will get pregnant. 

Planned Parenthood explains that, even if someone pulls out perfectly, four out of every 100 women using the pull-out method will still get pregnant from it.

But let's be real: Nobody is executing it perfectly.

5. This Is How Many People Realistically Could Get Pregnant From Pulling Out

In reality, the number of people who get pregnant from only utilizing the pull-out method is much higher.

Planned Parenthood reports that, realistically (since very few people pull out perfectly), 27 out of every 100 women using the pull-out method will get pregnant every year.

To really paint you a picture of how that's a BFD, that means OVER A QUARTER OF THESE WOMEN USING WITHDRAWAL COULD GET PREGNANT.

Not to mention the fact that the pull-out method does nothing to keep you from contracting STDs, while condoms can better protect you from both STDs and unplanned pregnancies.

So ladies, do yourself a favor, and for the love of GOD, make your guy use a rubber.