Outercourse and Withdrawal

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Written by Allen Lawrence, M.D.

What is Outercourse?

Not all people wish to abstain complete. While they may not wish to have intercourse couples may desire to have sex play without vaginal intercourse. When done right this too can keep sperm cells from joining with the woman's egg.

Outercourse can many meanings. For some it means everything (petting) but putting the penis into the vagina. There fore whatever it means it does not mean intercourse. It can include oral sex, mutual masturbation, or even rubbing the penis on the woman's vulva but not entering into her vagina. In a sense it is a compromise between no sex at all and vaginal intercourse. However, once the penis is close to the vagina, rubbing or inserting the tip near or into the vaginal lips pregnancy can result, hence it is really no longer outercourse.

Effectiveness of Outercourse

Nearly 100% effective, but pregnancy is possible if semen or pre-ejaculate fluid is either spilled into or on to the vulva.
Effective against HIV and other serious sexually transmitted infections, unless body fluids are exchanged through oral or anal intercourse or spill into the vagina is at best marginal, but possible.
No cost as with most other forms of contraception.

Advantages of Outercourse

No medical or hormonal side effects.
Can be used as safer sex if no body fluids are exchanged.
May prolong sex play and enhance orgasm.
Can be used when no other methods are available.
Couple must be reliable and dedicated. With abstinence there is no sexual contact, so the urge to have intercourse is minimal. With outercourse there is sexual contact and passions can overwhelm individuals making the chance of intercourse, hence pregnancy, potentially greater.

Possible Problems with Outercourse

Difficult for many people it is difficult to abstain from vaginal intercourse for long periods of time.
As with abstinence people often forget to protect themselves against pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections if and when they go beyond outercourse.

What Is Withdrawal?

Withdrawal requires that when either the man or the woman senses that he is about to come, he pulls his penis out of the vagina or the woman pulls way from him. The man then ejaculates (comes) outside of the vagina and not in the vagina. Since sperm is not deposited in the vagina, no fertilized egg is formed hence the chance of pregnancy is greatly reduced.

Withdrawal takes a lot of discipline! The single largest reason for failure of this method is lack of discipline or attention to pull out before ejaculation. If the woman has not had an orgasm by the time the man is ready to ejaculate, the man or the woman herself can stimulate her in other ways after withdrawal. It works best when the couple has agreed to use this method in advance. Among typical couples who use withdrawal, about 19% will experience an accidental pregnancy in the first year. If withdrawal is used consistently and correctly, the pregnancy rate can drop to as low as 4%.

Advantages of Withdrawal:

Withdrawal is always an option... no supplies are necessary and it's free.
You may be surprised at how effective it is. It is definitely better than no birth control at all.
No fluid, or much less fluid, is deposited in the woman's vagina. This means that there is somewhat less chance of infection spreading from the man to the woman, this is not a guarantee however, that sexually transmitted diseases cannot be given from one partner to another.
There are no medical complications are associated with withdrawal.

Disadvantages of Withdrawal:

Couples often want to keep thrusting when it is time for him to pull out.
The man may worry, "Will I withdraw in time?" And the woman may worry, "Will he withdraw in time?" This concern may decrease their enjoyment of intercourse.
Withdrawal provides poor protection against sexually transmitted infections including HIV (the AIDS virus). It's better to use withdrawal than nothing at all, but condoms are much more effective at preventing the spread of STDs.
Sperm may be present in the fluid that comes out of the penis before ejaculation and this can cause pregnancy

What If I Have Sex and My Partner Ejaculates In Me and I Don't Use Another Method of Birth Control?

First of all, if you really do not want to become pregnant you will have only 72 hours after unprotected sex (ejaculation within the vagina) to take advantage of one of the emergency contraceptive (EC) pill (also often referred to as the “Morning After Pill” ) methods to avoid becoming pregnant. You can however, for up to 7 days after unprotected sex, have an IUD placed into your uterus (see information on IUD's). Not all doctors, however, either know about emergency contraception nor how to prescribe it. This is something that you should have discussed with your doctor at a regular examination.