If you’re trying to get pregnant — or avoid pregnancy — "pre-ejaculate" is an important word to know. Here's what you need to understand about its role in conception.
What is pre-ejaculate (precum)?
Pre-ejaculate, also sometimes called precum, is a clear, thick fluid that comes out of a man's penis when he is aroused. This usually happens right before he ejaculates.
Unlike actual semen, pre-ejaculate doesn't come from the testes but instead from the Cowper's gland — two pea-sized glands located right beneath the prostate gland. Pre-ejaculate may act like as a lubricant during sex, and it also makes semen less watery, creating a conducive living environment for sperm.
Can you get pregnant from pre-ejaculate?
In a word, yes. Pre-ejaculate may contain sperm, which means you could get pregnant even if your partner doesn't fully ejaculate into your vagina.
There hasn't been a lot of research on this, but one small study found that over 40 percent of men had some sperm in their pre-ejaculate.[1]
It's thought that this is "cross-contamination" from semen that may be present in the urethra (the tube that transports urine from the bladder to the tip of the penis) from a past sexual encounter, since both pre-ejaculate fluid and semen pass through the urethra.
Can you get pregnant if the man "pulls out" before orgasm?
Again, yes. Most men can't tell when they've pre-ejaculated, and withdrawal itself takes a lot of self-control, which can be quite difficult when you're in the heat of the moment. And if even a few drops of semen land on the outside of your vagina, sperm may still swim in, which can lead to pregnancy.
It's also important to remember that "pulling out" doesn't protect you against STDs. Some STDs, like genital warts and herpes, are spread through skin-to-skin contact, while others, such as chlamydia, syphilis or gonorrhea, can be carried in precum. So if you're worried about any STD, make sure that you use a condom.
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If you're actively trying to avoid pregnancy, the main argument for withdrawal is that it keeps some semen out of the vagina. Other forms of birth control, like condoms, are more effective (but not foolproof). You can combine the two for a more potent pregnancy protection, or consider a more reliable method, such as the birth control pill or the IUD.
What are your odds of getting pregnant from pre-ejaculate?
It's impossible to know for sure, as it can vary from person to person and with each sexual encounter. The best data available are studies that look at the withdrawal method. If your partner "perfects" the pull-out method, then your chances are relatively low: only about 4 percent.
But the reality is that doesn't always happen, which is why the "real life" effectiveness is only about 22 percent.[2] That means about 22 out of 100 people who use the withdrawal method get pregnant every year, or roughly one in five.
By comparison, the IUD has a failure rate of less than 1 percent, while methods like the pill or patch are under 10 percent, and condoms are under 20.
Bottom line? Pre-ejaculate is still ejaculate, which means it most likely contains sperm. If you're currently trying to avoid pregnancy, your best bet is to use a more reliable method of birth control.
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