Why educated young women are using withdrawal instead of condoms.

Last month, the Guttmacher Institute released a controversial report showing that the much-maligned withdrawal method, when used correctly, is almost as effective in preventing pregnancy as condoms are. Withdrawal is also increasingly popular: The report cites CDC data showing that the number of women who have used it went up almost 15 percent from 1995 to 2002. Meanwhile, CDC data also shows that as women get into their late 20s and early 30s, they use condoms less and less, even if they’re not married.

My theory, based on an admittedly small sample of educated twentysomethings, is that there’s a connection here between the condom ebb and the withdrawal flow, so to speak. Many of my friends have admitted to ditching condoms and adding withdrawal to their contraceptive repertoire, even when they’re not on the Pill. These women say that they’re not afraid of the STDs that condoms protect against. And to the extent they think withdrawal still poses a greater risk of pregnancy, well, they’re not worried about that the way they used to be.

A year before the Guttmacher study came out, a 27-year-old friend, let’s call her Amanda, started using withdrawal with her new boyfriend. “I mean, there are really not that many days per month that you can get pregs, and if you are pretty regular it’s not rocket science,” she says over instant message.

via Why educated young women are using withdrawal instead of condoms..

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