“Pre-ejaculate, sometimes called precum, is a clear fluid that is released when a man becomes sexually aroused, but before he ejaculates. Sometimes, it can be seen at the tip of the penis, but many men don’t even notice it. The fluid is produced by a pair of pea-sized glands called the Cowper’s glands, located near the urethra, a tube in the penis with a dual purpose: allowing urine and semen to exit the body,” according to issm.info.
Some people practice a form of birth control where the unprotected penis is pulled out of the vagina before ejaculation to prevent pregnancy. This is called by many names: withdrawal method of contraception, pulling out, and coitus interruptus, to name a few.
Precum and pre-ejaculate are produced before ejaculation and possibly released before the penis is withdrawn. According to plannedparenthood.org, “Precum may have a tiny bit of sperm in it, so it can cause pregnancy — but this is rare.”
The sourced articles below should provide more information on precum and the possibility of pregnancy from withdrawing before ejaculation.
- What’s The Deal With Erections, Ejaculation, And Wet Dreams?
“Some slang terms for ejaculation include: cum or come, jizz, and shooting your load. … Sometimes a thin, slippery liquid drips out of your penis when it’s hard BEFORE ejaculation — this is called pre-ejaculate or precum. Precum is totally normal. Precum may have a tiny bit of sperm in it, so it can cause pregnancy — but this is rare.”
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc., plannedparenthood.org, accessed on 5/6/2019
- Can You Get Pregnant From Precum?
“Nope, sperm doesn’t live in pre-ejaculate itself. But that doesn’t mean that there may not be some sperm released with precum. Let us explain: Sperm is found in semen, which is estimated to contain 200 to 300 million sperm per ejaculation. Clearly, semen is your biggest issue when it comes to avoiding pregnancy. With that said, precum isn’t completely risk-free.”
Kasandra Brabaw, self.com, 3/8/2019
- Everything You’ve Always Wondered About Precum
“Precum (sometimes referred to as ‘pre-ejaculate’) is exactly what it sounds like: a fluid that a man (or person with a penis) ejaculates before the full-on ejaculation. It ‘is a clear, slick fluid that leaves the urethral opening or hole, at the tip of the penis, usually before ejaculation, hence the term, *pre* cum,’ says Laura Deitsch, resident sexologist of Vibrant, Planned Parenthood’s sex toy e-tailer. And you’ll never guess what precum’s function actually is: sanitizing the urethra before ejaculation. ‘Urine and semen both exit the male body through the urethra and it is important for the tube to be clean so the acidity of the urine doesn’t kill the sperm,’ Deitsch explains. Basically, precum is the cleaning fluid of sexuality intercourse.”
Gigi Engle, brides.com, 2/23/2019
- Ejaculation And Male Fertility
“Ejaculation occurs when semen is released from the penis, usually during orgasm. Before this occurs, however, a small amount of pre-ejaculate is typically released. This pre-ejaculate also referred to as pre-cum, drips from the head of your penis when you are aroused. It is made up of one to two drops of alkaline fluid from the Cowper’s glands (the two small glands beneath the prostate). Its alkalinity neutralizes the acidity that remains in the urethra from recent urination.”
Jerry Kennard, verywellhealth.com, 12/19/2018
- Can You Get Pregnant From Pre-Ejaculate?
“Can you get pregnant if the guy pulls out before he ‘comes’? …
-Yes. You can definitely get pregnant even if the guy pulls out before he comes. Guys can leak a bit of sperm out of the penis before ejaculation. This is called pre-ejaculate (‘pre-cum’). So even if a guy pulls out before he ejaculates, a girl can still become pregnant. Unlike during an orgasm, a guy can’t tell exactly when the pre-ejaculate is released.”Reviewed by Robyn R. Miller, MD, kidshealth.org, 10/2018
- Can You Get Pregnant If A Boy Withdraws (Pulls Out) Before He Comes?
“There’s a myth that a girl can’t get pregnant if a boy withdraws his penis before he ejaculates (comes). The truth is, pulling out the penis won’t stop a girl getting pregnant. Before a boy ejaculates, there’s sperm in the pre-ejaculatory fluid (pre-come), which leaks out when he gets excited. It only takes 1 sperm to get a girl pregnant.”
National Health Service, nhs.uk, 3/10/2018
- Myths And Facts About… The Withdrawal Method
“Withdrawal (also known as ‘pulling out’) is when the man removes his penis from the woman’s vagina before ejaculation. This prevents the semen from entering the woman’s body. However, even if the penis is withdrawn before ejaculation, pre-ejaculate fluid may contain sperm cells that can cause pregnancy and it may also contain organisms that cause sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.”
International Planned Parenthood Federation, ippf.org, 1/30/2018
- Can Pregnancy Occur If…? Pregnancy Myths Cleared Up!
“There is a lot of conflicting data on whether this fluid contains sperm that can result in pregnancy. Some studies have concluded that it does contain sperm and others have concluded that it does not. Most sources do agree that without definitive confirmation, precautions should still be taken to protect from pregnancy and STI transmission.”
American Pregnancy Association, americanpregnancy.org, 5/23/2017
- What Is Pre-Ejaculate Or Precum?
“Pre-ejaculate, sometimes called precum, is a clear fluid that is released when a man becomes sexually aroused, but before he ejaculates. Sometimes, it can be seen at the tip of the penis, but many men don’t even notice it. The fluid is produced by a pair of pea-sized glands called the Cowper’s glands, located near the urethra, a tube in the penis with a dual purpose: allowing urine and semen to exit the body.”
International Society for Sexual Medicine, issm.info, 2/7/2017