Period/Sex question?

[princessmange.livejournal.com]

Hey guys :) 
So I was wondering...
I'm a huge worry wart and I'm like so obsessed with being extra extra careful during sex that a lot of times I ruin the mood for my boyfriend. I'm not on birth control because I can't tolerate it. But we do use condoms. 
Anyway,
He insists that I can't get pregnant during the first couple days of my period if we have unprotected sex and he pulls out. 
However this still worries me. 
Is he right? Or should I stick to being overly cautious? 

Comments

[murphtang.livejournal.com]

There is always a chance of pregnancy. Pulling out is not a good method of birthcontrol...I'd stick to using condoms. :)

[jadedinnocent.livejournal.com]

I used to think the start of your period was a 'freebie', when you couldn't get pregnant and could have sex without protection (with a safe, STI-tested partner). Then I got pregnant. So yes, it can most definitely happen and it is completely right for you to want to use condoms. Unless you wanna make some very hard decisions, tell your boyfriend to suck it up.

[nickelshoe.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say it's not "good." It's not the best for some people at some times.

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

I think this is a common misconception that a lot of people have, and it gets propagated in a lot of sex ed programming. It's really not accurate, in my opinion. Sure, withdrawal isn't a good method for everyone, but that doesn't mean it's not good for some folks.

Because although there are some considerable drawbacks (no protection against STIs, for example), withdrawal is reported to be 96% effective when used perfectly, according to this table from Contraceptive Technology (http://www.contraceptivetechnology.org/table.html).

Many people believe that pre-ejaculate fluid (AKA "precum") contains sperm, but all available studies suggest that's not true at all, since it's a fluid that does not originate from the testicles and that is used primarily for lubrication of the male's urethra to prepare for the release of semen.

Trouble can crop up when two consecutive rounds of penis-in-vagina sex occur without the penis-wielder having flushed their urethra by emptying their bladder between sessions.

You can read more about the stats and pros/cons related to withdrawal in this Vulvapedia entry about withdrawal (http://vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Non-Hormonal_Birth_Control#The_Withdrawal_.28Pull-Out.29_Method), if you're curious.

Again, to reiterate: it might not be a method that works for everyone, but it certainly is a legitimate form of birth control and works for some people.