Besides abstinence?

I have never been on the pill before, nor do I ever plan on it. So what's the safest way to not getting pregnant otherwise? Any suggestions? Thanks!:angel:

What do you mean by 'natural'? Just stuff that's not hormonal, or do you not want to use barrier methods like condoms either?

There are non-hormonal IUDs, if you're looking for an alternative to the condom.

I personally don't recommend anything like the 'rhythm method' where you calculate when your body is not ovulating. Those are notorious for being EXTREMELY unreliable, and they take up a LOT of your time. (You'll feel like an obsessive woman that's trying to get pregnant by taking her temperature and stuff all the time.)

Pulling out is an absolute joke too. Most men have pre-ejaculate that CAN get you pregnant, and it's pretty hard for a man to do it successfully even if he doesn't have any pre-ejaculate at all. (Especially any young man.)

If you want to know the statistics, run a search on the internet - there are lots of sex-ed websites out there with accuracy percentages for all different types of birth control.

Withdrawal. However, this form of birth control must only be between a couple who is very trustworthy of each other, and the man must be able to exercise the ability to withdraw in time so no semen gets in or around the vagina. Withdrawal is NOT a good BC method for teens.

Also, what people say about there being sperm in the precum is very likely untrue. There has been no conclusive evidence of this and only a couple of small tests done. The only way for there to be sperm in the precum is if a man doesnt clean out his urethra between orgasms by urinating.

I have used the withdrawal method for a couple years now, and no pregnancies. It is said to be about 96 percent effective when used correctly.

[QUOTE=JuneBug86;3513256]Withdrawal. However, this form of birth control must only be between a couple who is very trustworthy of each other, and the man must be able to exercise the ability to withdraw in time so no semen gets in or around the vagina. Withdrawal is NOT a good BC method for teens.

Also, what people say about there being sperm in the precum is very likely untrue. There has been no conclusive evidence of this and only a couple of small tests done. The only way for there to be sperm in the precum is if a man doesnt clean out his urethra between orgasms by urinating.

I have used the withdrawal method for a couple years now, and no pregnancies.It is said to be about 96 percent effective when used correctly[QUOTE]


JuneBug, I don't know how old you are but you information is totally and completely unreal! There is MUCH evidence that there is sperm in precum. And in NO WAY is the withdrawl method 96% effective. In fact the only things are over 90% effective are the pill, depo, the patch, and IUDs. Condoms are something like 89% effective. Just because you have been very lucky not to get pregnant, doesn't mean that many, many, many other girls haven't gotten pregnant. Don't give out false information and false statics.

I've used the withdrawal method for 20 yrs. with my wife and she hasn't been pregnant yet, and she is only 45. Luck, or just low sperm count?

Always up to the man, HuH?
The responsibility becomes mutual as soon as the clothes come off.
Tough concept for a lot of people.

You're pretty much stuck with barrier methods then. Condoms or the diaphram.

The withdrawal method has a very poor success rate although it isn't because of possibility of actual sperm in the pre-ejaculatory fluid (and the debate is still very open on that one) but because the guy either doesn't withdraw in time or because there is still real semen in the urethra from a previous ejaculation. It's only worth risking if pregnancy wouldn't be so bad.

My suggestion is the "Fertility Awareness Method" - FAM. You should look into the book "taking charge of your fertility" by Toni Weschler. It is awesome! It helps you get to know your body and you chart signs and symptoms so that you know when you are ovulating and therefore when to either abstain from sex, use a barrier method, withdrawal, or whatever you choose for not getting pregnant during that time. For the rest of your cycle when you are not fertile, you don't need backup (unless you are not in a committed relationship and are worried about disease in which case, the barrier method is really the only way to go!) I did this method for over a year with no problems at all. If you are willing to educate yourself on it and be diligent in paying attention to and tracking the signs that you are ovulating, it's a great way to go!

Actually I recommend "taking charge of your fertility" to ANY woman because it's really good to get to know how your body works anyway and it'll be useful when/if you ever decide to try for kids also!

Just wanted to edit to add: the only reason I stopped using FAM is because my gyno subscribed me to go back on the pill as treatment for PCOS.

Also, if you are willing to put out the money, I have this little device called a "lady comp" - you can look it up and do the research. If you don't feel like charting constantly, you wake up - immediately take your temp before getting out of bed...takes a whopping 10 seconds to take your temp, and then it takes that data over a course of time and starts to recognize when you are ovulating and will give you a red, yellow, or green light so you know if it's save to have sex that day. It keeps track of your temps for you so you don't have to remember to write them down. Then when you go to the bathroom, pay attention to your cervical mucus (another whopping 10 seconds) and just be careful around that time! It's really not that much more of a hassle than remembering to take a pill every day....really.

Withdrawal. However, this form of birth control must only be between a couple who is very trustworthy of each other, and the man must be able to exercise the ability to withdraw in time so no semen gets in or around the vagina. Withdrawal is NOT a good BC method for teens.

Also, what people say about there being sperm in the precum is very likely untrue. There has been no conclusive evidence of this and only a couple of small tests done. The only way for there to be sperm in the precum is if a man doesnt clean out his urethra between orgasms by urinating.

I have used the withdrawal method for a couple years now, and no pregnancies. It is said to be about 96 percent effective when used correctly.

My fiance also practiced this method. We are both in our mid-late 20s. We are both monogamous. We practiced this for 4 years and then BOOM - Positive home pregnancy test! Guess I was in that 4% huh? On the upside we now have a beautiful daughter.
Please do not try this because it is NOT a form of birth control. Stick with condoms if you're looking for short term or go with a non hormone IUD or diaphram.

Ladycomp - this sounds really interesting,....or too good to be true. I wonder how it would work for someone with Hypothyroidism (pretty common in women) that can have a very low basal body temp.

I personally would not use LadyComp on its own. There was a study done with Clear Blue's expensive fertility monitor. By itself, it underestimated the number of fertile days. However in conjunction with sympto-thermal method, it improved efficacy overall. Granted, it is two different companies, but something to consider.

Best non-hormonal method would be condoms or an IUD. Using the withdrawl method is very risky and if you really don't want to become pregnant it can be very stressful if someone accidentally loses control. My bf and I practiced this method without any accidents but unfortunatly during a women's fertile time of month when she has more discharge than usual it nourises any sperm that may be in pre-cum and in my case because of that very small percent that was present I became pregnant. I am living proof that sperm in pre-cum exist and no we weren't going for 2nd's on that risky method but I still got knocked up.