Should Sex Educators Teach The Withdrawal Method?
Posted by: Amelia McDonell-Parry
Filed in:
sex
9:45AM, Thursday May 21st 2009
In an upcoming issue of Contraception, Rachel K. Jones of the Guttmacher Institute makes the case that sex educators should start teaching the withdrawal method as a form of birth control. Jones argues that when practiced properly, the withdrawal method is quite effective at preventing pregnancy, and only four percent of those who use it “perfectly” will get pregnant in the next year. The method, like birth control pills, however, has no proven effect when it comes to preventing the transmission of STDs, although researchers are hoping to study that, too.
The recommendation is controversial. Teaching people how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy without the use of condoms, IUDs, or birth control pills? That’s crazy talk! But the fact is, statistics show that a significant portion of the female population is “pulling and praying”—56 percent have used withdrawal at some point in their life, while 21 percent are using it now. Because withdrawal has never been a part of sex education, many do it wrong. Only four percent of those who use it perfectly will get knocked up, but 18 percent of couples who rely on withdrawal as a birth control method but are not doing it “right” will get pregnant this year. The fascinating part? Seventeen percent of couples who rely on condoms as their birth control method of choice will have an unintended pregnancy this year. “In other words,” writes Jones, “With either method, more than eight in 10 avoid pregnancy.”
Megan at Jezebel asks, “Can we stop shaming women who practice withdrawal now?” Sure, this study shows that withdrawal has the same rate of effectiveness as condoms in preventing pregnancy, but has there really been “a lot of finger-pointing at women who practice withdrawal, as though they’re just playing Russian roulette with their reproductive systems”? I don’t think withdrawal gets as much scrutiny when the people practicing it are in a relationship and the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy isn’t as much of an issue as it might be for single women who use the method with casual sex partners. If there has been “finger-pointing,” it’s been at women (and men) who pull and pray with random sexual partners—a pretty stupid idea, especially since it doesn’t prevent STDs. I’ve practiced withdrawal in the past—idiotically, I might add. I came out of it unscathed, but I don’t think I deserve a pat on the back for what was a stupid move. Did I just shame myself?
What do you think? Should medical providers talk to their patients about withdrawal, its effectiveness, and how to practice it correctly? [via Salon’s Broadsheet]
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CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 10:04 am: [report]
We should teach “something”, or perhaps “anything”.
Rose
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 10:06 am: [report]
When I took health class in highschool (several million years ago and in Canada, so these things were discussed)the teacher did explain withdrawl as a method of birth control. She explained it just as she had condoms, the pill, IUD, diaphragms, etc, how it’s done and that it isn’t perfectly effective and doesn’t protect from STI’s. Interestingly, she also mentioned that it takes a great deal of trust to be sure the man will pull out in time, and that it diminishes the pleasure when you both have to remember to stop in time. I can’t see why it shouldn’t be discussed as an option, just like ALL THE OTHER OPTIONS.
joyy
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 10:18 am: [report]
I see comprehensive sex ed as education regarding a full spectrum of birth control/sti protection options. Withdrawal is one of those available options. I am extremely against me getting pregnant, so those odds aren’t good enough for me, in my mind, but I’m all about people learning what’s out there and how to do whatever they’re going to do as well as they possibly can.
Erin G
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 10:26 am: [report]
I think the solution is to just be honest with those we are teaching. I’m sick of sex educators deciding what and how they tell young people. As if keeping secrets is going to keep them safe. “If they don’t know that the pull out method is as effective as condoms, they won’t use it!” Oh, please.
crustee
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 10:30 am: [report]
That picture is HILARIOUS!
40yrolddad
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 10:31 am: [report]
I think the facts & stats should definitely be presented but it should be emphasized that its effectiveness is completely dependent on exercising self-discipline in a fairly narrow window where your brain is designed to suppress rational thought whereas most of the alternatives (condoms, pill, etc) failures have a more random distribution (yes, there are some predictors but it’s less of an “all in” on one hand of poker like withdraw). kind of like emergency driving - if you haven’t been specifically trained it’s highly unlikely the rational part of your brain that’s heard “steer INTO a skid” will be able to override the panic reflex.
HitOrMissJudy
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 12:37 pm: [report]
They should definitely talk about it, because it’s going to come up in their lives and if they don’t know how ineffective it is, they might think it actually works. But because they’ll be talking to kids, what should also be discussed is that teenage boys have pretty much zero in the way of ejaculatory control. Most 15-year-olds can get stiff off a good breeze. I ESPECIALLY wouldn’t be trusting a two-pump chump to pull out in time. Yikes.
TotallyRidiculous
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 07:51 pm: [report]
You don’t NEED to teach the withdrawal method! Anyone who has had fertilization explained to them will think of the concept of pulling out. If you “teach” it to them, they will think it’s all they need and it’s soooo not. There is such a thing a pre-ejaculatory fluid and it contains sperm. Besides, how many young guys are going to be able to pull out in time?
snap
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 08:42 pm: [report]
of course! as this article states, withdrawal is HIGHLY effective when used properly. no sperm = no baby. (no recent, reputable study on sperm in pre-ejaculate has found that sperm is present in pre-ejaculate fluid). kids need to know that if all else fails (they forgot a condom/it broke/didn’t take their pills), he can still pull out—it’s WAY better than nothing.
retro chic
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 09:35 pm: [report]
Like Judy, imo, a reality check tells me that split-second timing and teens/20s hormone-charged sex don’t mix. BUT the technique should be EXPLAINED as a back-up only—NOT TAUGHT as a viable option. It lulls the vigilance of preventing the more serious concern of HIV/STDs. It’s always better to reinforce the best of all methods—human nature lowers the bar all by itself without any help from scholars. Studies are not reality.
landesign
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 09:37 pm: [report]
Good attitude Erin. I’m tired of educators trying to mold
young people to their ideologies and preferences.
Just tell them all the options and let them make their own
informed decisions.
SpaceCadette
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 09:49 pm: [report]
I fully agree that the withdrawal should be discussed “just like everything else”, but with emphasis on the dangers of STDs in lieu of protection. A doctor is usually able to discuss with their patient what is right for the client as far as birth control, but when it comes to people who are new to sex, it’s extremely important for them to be know how to protect themselves against diseases and unprepared pregnancies.
PinkRanger
wrote on May 21 2009 @ 10:38 pm: [report]
they actually did teach us about withdrawal at my school. My health teacher in ninth grad talked to us about a lot of things he wasn’t supposed to like condoms, the pill, spermicides, and other contraceptives *I lived in a very conservative southern town*. But when he told us about withdrawal he emphasized that it didn’t work at all. It took me discussing it with a gynecologist a couple years later to hear the truth about it. Doesn’t protect against STDs of course, but kids should be taught every method possible so they can make educated and informed decisions later in life. Sexually active teens aren’t trying to cheat the system, most of them don’t want pregnancies either! Honesty is always the best policy.
Arsenic
wrote on May 22 2009 @ 04:03 pm: [report]
@retro chic:
I’m totally with you on this one- to teach withdrawal without emphasizing that ALOT of things can go wrong seems like a bad idea to me.
I mean, really, given all the information and experience that you have now, would you have trusted that idiot you dated in high school for a week? And even if you had a great experience when you were younger, would you trust a guy to be able to do it right on his first time?
Sakura Kawaii-hime
wrote on September 9 2009 @ 01:05 pm: [report]
I just graduated from HS(in Texas) not to long ago being 20 and all, and we dont/didnt have any “Sex Edu.” classes. We only have the madatory 1 semester(0.5 HS credit) of “Health Edu.” which only teaches about STDs and pregnancy. They dont tech anything about birth control, only about STD’s and the prevention of by using condoms or practicing abstince. I think personally that they should have 2 mandatory semesters of Health Edu. with the first focusing on regular health related things and the other on sex edu. Because talking about sex, in my opinion, can be embarrassing for teens and young adults and they should be comfortable in the class with the teachers and fellow student before talking about serious things such as sex.