“Pulling out and hoping for the best” – advice from female students on how to prevent pregnancies
As part of my survey “Why do students have sex?”, I asked female respondents whether they used birth control regularly. Respondents who selected ‘No’ were asked, “How do you prevent pregnancy?” as a follow-up question. More than 700 students provided information, with 60% using condoms, 10% some form of abstinence, 10% Plan B on its own or combined with other methods, and 20% variations of ‘pull-out’ methods. There were also some rather unusual answers and a few that sounded more like respondents trying to educate me about contraception. For some reason, quite a few students who had not yet engaged in vaginal intercourse responded, and an unexpectedly high number of lesbian students commented even though they stressed that they were not engaging in intercourse and, thus, not at risk of becoming pregnant. I hope you enjoy this selection of student narratives.
“Use condoms and he always pulls out right before he cums.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Since I cannot be on the birth control pill or have an I.U.D. because of medical complications from them, I use condoms religiously.” (bisexual female, 20, junior)
“Save yourself until marriage and you're ready for that responsibility.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“Pull out method, but I prefer to use condoms but most guys don't put one on and I feel like I'll disappoint them if I ask because most guys don't like using condoms :(.” (heterosexual female, 20, sophomore)
“Only participating in oral sex.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Not engaging in any sexual activity until marriage.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“Just by simply not having sex. Condoms are not always effective.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“Pulling out and hoping for the best.” (heterosexual female, 20, junior)
“If you are going to have sex the best way I beleive to prevent pregnancy is to use condoms, and/or be on birth control.” (heterosexual female, 21, junior)
“I haven't had sex yet so I haven't need to use any, but if I did decide to have sex I would start birth control and use condoms.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“I have only had oral sex but i would use a condom.” (heterosexual female, 19, freshman)
“I have not had sex but there are a few ways to prevent pregnancy such as birth control and using condoms.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“Use condoms and he always pulls out right before he cums.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Since I cannot be on the birth control pill or have an I.U.D. because of medical complications from them, I use condoms religiously.” (bisexual female, 20, junior)
“Save yourself until marriage and you're ready for that responsibility.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“Pull out method, but I prefer to use condoms but most guys don't put one on and I feel like I'll disappoint them if I ask because most guys don't like using condoms :(.” (heterosexual female, 20, sophomore)
“Only participating in oral sex.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Not engaging in any sexual activity until marriage.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“Just by simply not having sex. Condoms are not always effective.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“Pulling out and hoping for the best.” (heterosexual female, 20, junior)
“If you are going to have sex the best way I beleive to prevent pregnancy is to use condoms, and/or be on birth control.” (heterosexual female, 21, junior)
“I haven't had sex yet so I haven't need to use any, but if I did decide to have sex I would start birth control and use condoms.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“I have only had oral sex but i would use a condom.” (heterosexual female, 19, freshman)
“I have not had sex but there are a few ways to prevent pregnancy such as birth control and using condoms.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
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“I have a girlfriend I don’t have sex with guys.” (bisexual female, 20, sophomore)
“I don’t practice pre marital sex.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman) “I don’t participate in vaginal sex and when having anal sex I use a condom.” (bisexual female, 19, sophomore) “I don’t have have vaginal intercourse, I’ve only had oral sex.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore) “I do not participate in sexual activity (abstinence).” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman) |
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“I do not have vaginal intercourse.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“I do not have sex or foreplay in any manner.” (heterosexual female, 20, sophomore)
“Guy pulls out or buys plan B.” (bisexual female, 22, junior)
“Condoms, careful when the guy is finishing.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Condoms and Pull out when in a relationship. Don't have sex with multiple people when single. try to not have sex when single.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“condoms and emergency contraceptive.” (heterosexual female, 18, junior)
“Celibacy, but when I was active sexually condoms.” (heterosexual female, 20, junior)
“By practicing abstinence.” (heterosexual female, 19, freshman)
“By being a virgin.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Being with a girl.” (bisexual female, 20, sophomore)
“Always wear a condom no matter what.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“I haven't recently had sex. The past few times, we used a condom., Upon ejaculation, we ended with me giving him a blow job.” (bisexual female, 19, freshman)
“I don’t have sex, but hypothetically safe sex practices with a condom.” (bisexual female, 18, freshman)
“Condoms, birth control and other forms of contraception, and abstinence.” (heterosexual female, 20, sophomore)
“Condoms and sex restraint. I also only have sex when my fertility is low.” (bisexual female, 19, sophomore)
“You prevent pregnancy by wearing condoms or taking the pill.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Sometimes we use condoms, but usually, it isn't an issue because my partner has trouble finishing so he always has time to pull out. STDs are not an issue as we are both each others only sexual partner.” (lesbian female, 22, junior)
“pulling out, plan b, luck.” (heterosexual female, 19, freshman)
“Pull out method. If my boyfriend feels as if he remotely ejaculated I buy plan b.” (heterosexual female, 22, junior)
“My sexual partner is trans so he does not have anything to get me pregnant with. or I pop ECP like candy.” (pansexual female, 18, freshman)
“Living life on the edge I guess.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“lesbianism.” (lesbian female, 19, sophomore)
“imagination.” (bisexual female, 18, freshman)
“I'm a virgin with no desire to engage in intercourse.” (asexual female, 19, sophomore)
“I refuse to give myself to anyone just for pleasure or even in a dating relationship. I want the only person to know me in that way to be my husband. I am choosing to wait until I get married.” (heterosexual female, 29, senior)
“I don't have sex. The best birth control is being afraid of intimacy and having awful anxiety issues. :).” (asexual female, 18, sophomore)
“I am currently not sexually active (I believe I may be some form of asexual), although if I was I would be using birth control.” (unsure female, 18, freshman)
“For me, we use condoms because birth control isn't an option from being in a conservative family.:(.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Don’t have sex before marriage where you are unable to provide for a child.” (heterosexual female, 22, junior)
“Don’t get close to people.” (asexual female, 19, senior)
“Conservatives (condoms).” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Condoms/ pull out/ hope for the best.” (heterosexual female, 19, freshman)
“Condoms, birth control, pull out game strong, how about just don't do it _/(^-^)\_.” (bisexual female, 18, freshman)
“pull out and pray, track my cycle.” (bicurious female, 18, freshman)
“I do not have sex or foreplay in any manner.” (heterosexual female, 20, sophomore)
“Guy pulls out or buys plan B.” (bisexual female, 22, junior)
“Condoms, careful when the guy is finishing.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Condoms and Pull out when in a relationship. Don't have sex with multiple people when single. try to not have sex when single.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“condoms and emergency contraceptive.” (heterosexual female, 18, junior)
“Celibacy, but when I was active sexually condoms.” (heterosexual female, 20, junior)
“By practicing abstinence.” (heterosexual female, 19, freshman)
“By being a virgin.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Being with a girl.” (bisexual female, 20, sophomore)
“Always wear a condom no matter what.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“I haven't recently had sex. The past few times, we used a condom., Upon ejaculation, we ended with me giving him a blow job.” (bisexual female, 19, freshman)
“I don’t have sex, but hypothetically safe sex practices with a condom.” (bisexual female, 18, freshman)
“Condoms, birth control and other forms of contraception, and abstinence.” (heterosexual female, 20, sophomore)
“Condoms and sex restraint. I also only have sex when my fertility is low.” (bisexual female, 19, sophomore)
“You prevent pregnancy by wearing condoms or taking the pill.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Sometimes we use condoms, but usually, it isn't an issue because my partner has trouble finishing so he always has time to pull out. STDs are not an issue as we are both each others only sexual partner.” (lesbian female, 22, junior)
“pulling out, plan b, luck.” (heterosexual female, 19, freshman)
“Pull out method. If my boyfriend feels as if he remotely ejaculated I buy plan b.” (heterosexual female, 22, junior)
“My sexual partner is trans so he does not have anything to get me pregnant with. or I pop ECP like candy.” (pansexual female, 18, freshman)
“Living life on the edge I guess.” (heterosexual female, 19, sophomore)
“lesbianism.” (lesbian female, 19, sophomore)
“imagination.” (bisexual female, 18, freshman)
“I'm a virgin with no desire to engage in intercourse.” (asexual female, 19, sophomore)
“I refuse to give myself to anyone just for pleasure or even in a dating relationship. I want the only person to know me in that way to be my husband. I am choosing to wait until I get married.” (heterosexual female, 29, senior)
“I don't have sex. The best birth control is being afraid of intimacy and having awful anxiety issues. :).” (asexual female, 18, sophomore)
“I am currently not sexually active (I believe I may be some form of asexual), although if I was I would be using birth control.” (unsure female, 18, freshman)
“For me, we use condoms because birth control isn't an option from being in a conservative family.:(.” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Don’t have sex before marriage where you are unable to provide for a child.” (heterosexual female, 22, junior)
“Don’t get close to people.” (asexual female, 19, senior)
“Conservatives (condoms).” (heterosexual female, 18, freshman)
“Condoms/ pull out/ hope for the best.” (heterosexual female, 19, freshman)
“Condoms, birth control, pull out game strong, how about just don't do it _/(^-^)\_.” (bisexual female, 18, freshman)
“pull out and pray, track my cycle.” (bicurious female, 18, freshman)
