Today, there are a huge number of reliable methods of contraception. But despite this, many couples still prefer to protect themselves with the help of coitus interruptus. Will this method help to avoid unwanted pregnancy?
What is coitus interruptus
In men, sperm containing germ cells comes out only at the end of sexual intercourse. This is called ejaculation and is accompanied by pleasant sensations. The principle of coitus interruptus is based on this knowledge: the representative of the stronger sex, feeling that he will soon reach orgasm, takes out the penis from the partner's vagina so that ejaculation occurs outside her genitals, and his germ cells could not meet with the egg.
With interrupted intercourse, ejaculation does not occur in the vagina, which means that the sperm cannot meet the egg
Is coitus interruptus harmful?
Coitus interruptus is harmful to both partners. First of all, it concerns the psychological component. A man should be focused all the time, which makes it difficult to enjoy the process and get a full orgasm. The same can be said about a woman: the fear of getting pregnant interrupts all pleasant sensations, and the removal of the penis can prevent her from reaching orgasm. Partners sometimes face disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, neurosis, irritability.
According to some medical studies, men who practice PPA are more likely to suffer from impotence and infertility.
Advantages and disadvantages of PPA
The following advantages of PPA can be distinguished:
- it does not need any devices and skills, it can be used even with sudden sex;
- application of PPA is absolutely free;
- unlike barrier contraception, PPA does not affect sensation in any way;
- PPA does not affect the health of the fair sex, as, for example, hormonal contraception.
Coitus interruptus has its downsides:
- PPA cannot be attributed to reliable methods of protection;
- partners are defenseless against sexually transmitted diseases;
- partners are in tension;
- a man (and sometimes a woman) is not completely satisfied.
With PPA, a man and a woman are constantly tense, which can lead to irritability and neuroses.
Reliability of PPA as a method of protection
The reliability of interrupted intercourse is approximately 70%. The Pearl index is often used to evaluate the effectiveness of contraceptive methods. According to this index, the PPA has an indicator of 4–27. This means that exactly how many women out of 100 became pregnant, being protected in this way.
Table: Pearl index for different methods of protection
Why you can get pregnant with PPA
At first glance, PPA appears to be a reliable method of protection. Since the sperm does not enter the vagina, it means that you cannot get pregnant, what can go wrong? The first and most obvious reason for pregnancy is that the partner could not pull out the penis in time. Coitus interruptus implies complete control and a quick reaction on the part of a man. Just a fraction of a second is enough for a small part of the spermatozoa to enter the vagina and be able to fertilize the egg. Young people who have just recently started having sex have difficulty removing the penis at the right time. But even experienced men who feel great about their body can be distracted or not control the moment of orgasm.
Sometimes men do not have time to remove the penis in time, and part of the sperm rushes to the egg
But do not forget about the pre-ejaculate. This substance is produced in a man during sex, it serves as a lubricant, and also contains germ cells. Their number is small, but sometimes this is enough for fertilization. If a couple has several sexual intercourses in a row, then the chance of pregnancy increases, since some live spermatozoa remain in the vas deferens.
Even if sexual intercourse did not imply full penetration, lubricant or sperm can be accidentally brought into the vagina on fingers or toys, so there is still a small chance of pregnancy.
Some women worry that the male germ cells will "crawl" inward from the external genitalia if ejaculation occurs there. This is unlikely, but partners can accidentally bring sperm inside. Do not forget about pregnancy from lubrication, as well as the fact that part of the germ cells could come out even before the removal of the penis.
The likelihood of pregnancy is highly dependent on the time of the cycle. During ovulation, when the egg has left the follicle and is “waiting” for the male sex cells, any mistake (or just surviving sperm in the lubricant) can cause conception. According to doctors, 30% of interrupted sexual intercourse during ovulation lead to fertilization.
Video: coitus interruptus
Is it possible to minimize the risks when using PPA
It is impossible to make coitus interruptus completely safe, but it is possible to reduce the chance of conception. Women with a regular cycle can calculate a dangerous time (4-5 days before ovulation, the day of the release of the egg, 2-3 days after) to use reliable contraceptives during this period or not to have sex at all. But you need to understand that even small external influences (stress, changes in the daily routine, nutrition) can shift the cycle by 1-2 days and lead to pregnancy, so this method of contraception cannot be considered reliable.
If the partners want to have sex again, then the man should urinate to get rid of the spermatozoa in the vas deferens (part-time and urethra) canal. Coitus interruptus does not protect against STDs, so before engaging in sexual intercourse, it is worth making sure that your partner does not have any diseases.
All of these methods only minimize the risks, but do not remove them completely. To make sex safer, choose more effective methods of contraception, such as condoms, the IUD, or hormonal drugs.
Video: coitus interruptus - is it good or bad?
Coitus interruptus is not the safest method of contraception, as there is always the possibility of becoming pregnant due to lubrication or a partner's mistake. That is why doctors advise choosing more effective methods of contraception.
Often, the practice of doctors shows that interrupted sexual intercourse can still cause an unwanted pregnancy. Why does this happen, what is coitus interruptus, what are its pros and cons?
What is coitus interruptus
Pros of PPA:
- Availability and safety of the method when there is no need to take pills or use a condom.
- The simplicity of the method, as well as the brightness and sharpness of tactile sensations during sex, not constrained by a condom, a spiral present in the vagina, and so on.
The disadvantages of this method of contraception, PPA doctors attribute a high risk of an unplanned pregnancy, as an STD infection. And with frequent practice, impotence develops in men, and frigidity in women.
But many are concerned about only one question - is it possible to get pregnant with an interrupted sex act.
Probability of pregnancy
The probability of an unwanted pregnancy with this method of contraception is extremely high and there are a number of simple reasons for this:
- A man "leaves" the vagina in the very last seconds before ejaculation, and many believe that if the outpouring of sperm has passed outside the female body, then there is no risk of becoming pregnant. Although this is erroneous - a small amount of sperm is already in the first drops of lubricant and the chances of fertilization are very high.
- Also, if a man is a beginner in the practice of this method, there are risks that, due to inexperience, he will not be able to stop in time. Such instinctive action is due to the natural instinct of reproduction.
It is worth considering the negative consequences in the form of prostatitis and frigidity, and so on. There is a chance of getting pregnant with interrupted intercourse, so you should not rely on it much.
The harm of this method of contraception
If we talk about PPA as a method of contraception and its harm, at the very beginning it is worth mentioning its low effectiveness as a remedy for unwanted pregnancy.
In this case, the harm is obvious - an unwanted pregnancy and the need to decide whether to have an abortion or still give birth. If a man can still control the process of ejaculation, then the release of pre-seminal fluid - in any way, and it contains about 10-20 million spermatozoa.
In addition, doctors also include a high risk of contracting STDs in the practice of casual sexual intercourse in the list of negative points.
There is also a high probability of the development of early erectile dysfunction in both partners - in men, erection weakens, and in women, libido decreases. This happens due to the lack of complete and natural sexual satisfaction that occurs over a long period of time.
You also need to understand that interrupted intercourse on the day of ovulation can only protect against pregnancy by 40%.
Coitus interruptus: consequences
In the case of a normal course of sexual intercourse, ejaculation occurs without volitional participation on the part of the man, so to speak, reflexively.
If PPA is practiced, the man is constantly tense, controls the moment of orgasm and natural ejaculation. At the very peak of passion and sexual intercourse, he needs to "exit" the woman's vagina - such a sharp change in arousal by the need to slow down leads to the following problems:
- disorders of the central nervous system and the occurrence of nerves;
- malfunction of the reproductive system;
- premature ejaculation and impaired erection.
With the practice of introducing PPA, the duration of each intercourse will be longer than the duration of the average sexual intercourse. And this leads to the depletion of the spinal erectile centers, causing the development of impotence.
No less problem with the frequent practice of PPA for a man is the development of prostatitis - inflammation of the prostate gland, accompanied by stagnation of blood, sperm in the pelvic organs and swelling.
Also, due to insufficient outflow of blood from the genital organs, neuro-trophic transformations often develop and show themselves as negative symptoms - hyperemia, as well as atony of the prostate, aggravated by the course of the infectious nature of the origin of the inflammatory process.
If we touch on the issue of the negative consequences of PPA for women, they also exist. First of all, it is also the inability to achieve and receive a full-fledged sexual relaxation. On a par with this, the risk of unwanted pregnancy remains very high - then you will have to decide whether to save it or get rid of it.
Reviews
Oksana, 32 years old
I consider interrupted intercourse the most optimal method of such a “contraception” for all girls who want to get married. As they say, this lulls the vigilance of a man, but at the same time I can say for myself that many of my girlfriends got married in this way, becoming pregnant, as if by chance from a partner. And in terms of its effectiveness - well, I don’t consider it an effective method of protection against unwanted pregnancy.
Vitaly, 43 years old
I've been married for 20 years now and often use PPA without worrying too much about my prostate and so on. But I still persuade my son to use condoms in sex. I don't want one of my son's girlfriends to become pregnant, and the question arose of whether it was a wedding or an abortion. I myself practice coitus interruptus after menstruation and on other days. I don't see anything wrong with it if people are legally married.
Not daring to use other methods of contraception for various reasons, many couples use coitus interruptus. And at the same time, we are confident in the 100% effectiveness of this method. And in vain.
According to the results of the studies, it was found that the use of interruption of sexual intercourse in 30-50 percent of cases can lead to pregnancy. The percentage of unsuccessful contraception is very high, and, therefore, the risk of not getting pregnant at the right time.
It all depends on the man
The very essence of this method of protection lies in the fact that a man, noticing the beginning of an orgasm, leaves the woman's vagina, and the sperm does not get into it. By all logic, this should lead to reliable results. Spermatozoa and egg are not available for each other. Actually it is not.
First of all, think about where the sperm goes when the act is interrupted. If it enters a woman on the external genitalia, the chance of sperm getting into the vagina remains quite high. 
The chance of pregnancy is especially high during repeated sexual intercourse without a condom. Spermatozoa retain their vitality for quite a long time, they can remain in the canal of the penis and, at the next act, enter the vagina along with the pre-lubrication that is released.
In some men, spermatozoa are exceptionally active and tenacious. In this case, no interruption will help to completely eliminate the possibility of pregnancy. At the same time, sperm survivability cannot be determined "by eye" - neither age, nor lifestyle, nor sexual activity are associated with this indicator. 
If, in addition, a woman's menstrual cycle is unstable, then even a combination of an interrupted act with calendar calculations may be useless: the chance of pregnancy is very high.
Is this way easy?
Many couples, not really discussing whether it is possible to get pregnant with interrupted intercourse, prefer this particular method, which does not require any preparation, which allows you to do without the use of an interfering condom, controlled consciously. 
But at the same time forget about its shortcomings:
- instead of completely relaxing and quietly enjoying, the man is forced to be focused so as not to miss this moment, and the woman is worried if he can handle it, so both are not happy;
- a sharp change in excitation by inhibition leads to health problems, can cause early ejaculation, lead to impotence and a number of psychological problems;
- and most importantly - this method does not guarantee protection against pregnancy, and the probability of failure is too high!
Therefore, try to use this method less often, and better - use more reliable contraceptives.
Many couples are concerned about the high probability of pregnancy with PPA, the opinion of doctors on this matter is clear - this method of contraception does not give a 100% guarantee that pregnancy will not occur. Moreover, some experts argue that if a couple uses only this type of contraception for a long time, and pregnancy has never occurred, then this most likely indicates problems in the reproductive sphere.
There are many known methods of contraception today. The most widely used of them:
- condoms;
- hormonal contraceptives;
- intrauterine devices and caps;
- spermicidal creams and suppositories;
- hormone injections.
There are also much more radical ones - for example, ligation of the fallopian tubes in women or spermatic cords in men. However, one of the most common methods of preventing unwanted pregnancy (at least in our country) is coitus interruptus.
The essence of this method lies in the fact that sexual intercourse is interrupted at the time of ejaculation, and spermatozoa do not enter the woman's vagina. This, in turn, prevents the sperm and egg from meeting, and thus prevents conception. This method is most often chosen by couples whose relationships have been tested for years and therefore are quite serious.
This method of preventing pregnancy is quite old. This is what our grandparents did. They just didn't have a choice. And although we live in the 21st century, when technology is advancing by leaps and bounds and more and more modern contraceptives are appearing, about half of couples practice this ancient method.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantage of this method is its availability and simplicity. It does not require absolutely any material costs, and you can use it anytime and anywhere.
As for the shortcomings, it should be noted here that this technique requires a certain amount of composure from a man. After all, it is very difficult in a fit of passion, at the very climax to think about how to stop in time.
In addition, it is worth considering the female component of this method. As you know, during ovulation, that is, the process of the release of an egg from the ovary, the likelihood of pregnancy is much higher. Therefore, on such dangerous days, it is quite dangerous to protect yourself with the PPA method.
The psychological component is also important. With this method of protection against unwanted pregnancy, both sexual partners will be in suspense, they will not be able to relax to the end, as they will think about how not to miss the moment and interrupt the sexual act in time. As a result, a man and a woman become irritable and nervous. This can also negatively affect the state of the male reproductive system.
PPA does not in any way protect against sexually transmitted diseases. And there are just a huge number of them in the modern world, and some of them are deadly. Therefore, before using coitus interruptus as a method of contraception, you need to think three times and, possibly, stop at another, more reliable method of family planning.
On the other hand, very often you can hear stories that this method works great. True, in most cases, a couple who has been protected in this way for a long time and has never become pregnant, as a rule, then fertility problems are revealed. Most likely, the effectiveness of the method is possible only when the partners have problems with reproductive health and pregnancy is a problem.
Chances of getting pregnant with PPA
The opinions of doctors about the chances of having a child with this method of contraception differ.
On the one hand, if the partners live together for a long time, the technique of coitus interruptus has been worked out for them, they know all the features of each other. In this case, the efficiency of the method is quite high and reaches 90%.
On the other hand, in a healthy couple who use this method of preventing unwanted pregnancy, sooner or later, in about 20% of cases, a baby appears. Why is this happening? It's all about a few nuances, the knowledge of which increases the effectiveness of this method:
- This method is suitable for experienced men who can control the process of ejaculation. It is contraindicated for men with premature ejaculation and those representatives of the strong half of humanity who cannot control their emotions. It is also undesirable for inexperienced young people who are just starting their sexual life. It is better for them to use proven methods of contraception.
- When ejaculating, sperm should not get on the woman's genitals, otherwise there is a very real chance for her to become pregnant.
- After the end of the love scene, it is highly advisable for a man to take a shower to wash off the remnants of seminal fluid from the penis. This is especially important if another sexual intercourse follows.
- Since sperm can enter the urethra, it is advisable to urinate after the completion of intercourse. So the probability of fertilization will decrease even more.
- It is imperative to take into account the day of the cycle in a woman and use additional means (for example, spermicidal creams) on “dangerous” days.
Whether or not to use such a method of contraception as PPA is up to you. If you completely trust each other and will not be too upset by the news of the addition to the family, you can safely use it.