'New' Contraceptive Does Not Protect Against STDs.

Last week a study by the Guttmacher Institute in New York confirmed that the withdrawal method is almost as good a contraceptive as condoms.

While condoms have a 98% success rate, the withdrawal method (when a man pulls out to ejaculate) boasts a 96% success rate when used perfectly. This strikes me as odd, considering the article doesn't explain how to withdraw perfectly'. Even still, it boasts an 82% success rate when done improperly.

This is among the first studies where withdrawing is explored as a form of contraceptive. Turns out it's more commonly encouraged by well-educated women around the age of 25 who are already using birth control pills and don't want to de-eroticize' their experience by using a condom.

This may sound bad, but if the movies leave out the Frantic-Search-For-A-Condom scene, then it can be a buzz kill to your sack session. Still, I find it amazing how worries over pregnancy trump those over STDs or STIs. Your health is at stake people, and I'm not only talking about HIV or AIDS.

I made the mistake of using the withdrawal method with a guy I didn't know too well. He gave me a yeast infection. And I thanked all the Gods I could think of that it's all I got.

You know how they put rotted body parts on cigarette packs? They should post pictures of a vagina with genital warts in bathroom stalls of clubs. That will seriously wake a girl up. Maybe you've heard those cheery-sounding radio ads of a couple proclaiming their love for each other by sharing an STI. That's too mellow of a safe-sex campaign. Honeys, you will never ever go condomless again after viewing the nauseating pictures of infected nether regions. Google search images for gonorrhea and syphilis. I dare you. It's freakin' nasty.

If you're not a fan of condoms, try the Kimono brand. They're my fave and you can find them at any specialty sex shop. The guys prefer it too, trust me. If you're allergic to latex, talk to your Gyno or pharmacist and ask around in the sex shops too. Don't be shy. It's better to ask and be safe than not to ask and constantly worry about secretly being a disease bag.

Get tested. I see my Gyno every year for a pap test and get a blood test twice a year for STDs and STIs. Eventually when I find one guy I want to commit to, I make sure we both get tested before relying on the withdrawal method (and birth control as a back-up to prevent pregnancy).

Research, read and ask questions. If you're too embarrassed, join online forums and order vaginal health books through Amazon.com. You'll be glad you did.

Christine Atkinson, Manventures
		About the author:
		You can thank Christine’s Montreal roots for her sass and unveiled approach to sex and relating. Now based in Toronto, this self-proclaimed music (and sex) fiend consistently finds her dating world to be wrought with wrenches. Is this master dater truly the queen of her domain? Or is she unwittingly a victim of deceitful (and delicious) men? In either case, her misadventures are littered with hilarious mishaps and quirky events which prove dating an extreme sport for the heart (and inner thighs) in a metropolitan city.
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