Combine condom pulling out

Perhaps the Pill threw your hormones out of whack, or the idea of having a foreign object like the implant or IUD in your body skeeves you out. We get it: Choosing a form of birth control takes a lot of trial and hopefully not much error. Hormonal birth control options like the pill can come a litany of side effects from acne to bloating. And condoms can be a little awkward and uncomfortable for everyone. In fact, according to one survey , 41 percent of women ages 18 to 24 reported practicing withdrawal and researchers estimate the actual number could be higher. And if your sex life is more sporadic, perhaps the idea of triaging the situation with Plan B every once in a while doesn't sound half bad.

Withdrawal, or pulling out, is often ignored by health care providers and researchers as a form of birth control. The U. But the best studies we have suggest the majority of people in the U. We also know that withdrawal has a long history. In fact, before modern birth control existed, it was a critical way for people all over the world to limit the size of their families. So what do we really know about who uses withdrawal and how? The proportion of people using this method alone has either remained steady or declined over the last 20 years.

Although birth control can be an effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy, no method is percent successful. Each type has pros and cons, including how effective it is. Hormonal intrauterine devices IUD and hormonal implants are the most effective forms of reversible birth control. Once inserted, the hormonal implant and hormonal IUD are more than 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.

The consequences of unscheduled pregnancies include delayed prenatal care; early pregnancy exposure to smoking, drinking, or substance abuse; low birth weight; and decreased chances of breastfeeding after delivery. Condoms and combined oral contraceptive pills COCs remain the most commonly used contraceptives. Guidelines strongly recommend long-acting reversible contraceptive LARC methods — intrauterine devices IUDs and the progestin-only subdermal implant — as first-line options for most women because of their high efficacy.