The following is a summary of “Low to non-existent sperm content of pre-ejaculate in perfect-use contraceptive withdrawal, a pilot study,” published in the August 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology by Patel et al.
Low to non-existent sperm content has been observed in the pre-ejaculation of men using the withdrawal method of contraception.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the pregnancy risk associated with the perfect use of the withdrawal method by quantifying sperm in pre-ejaculation.
They conducted a pilot study with healthy, reproductive-age men experienced in the withdrawal method. Participants provided up to 3 paired pre-ejaculate and ejaculate specimens in 72-hour intervals. The samples were analyzed for volume, consistency, sperm concentration, count, and motility. Clinical pregnancy risk was set as the primary outcome, defined as sperm concentration >1 million/mL.
The results showed that from 70 paired samples (N = 24 participants, median age: 27 years), sperm was identified in nine (12.9%) pre-ejaculate samples from 6 (25.0%) participants. Only 7 samples contained sperm in concentrations of significant clinical pregnancy risk. All ejaculatory specimens contained motile sperm in concentrations of significant pregnancy risk.
They found that sperm were rarely present or in low numbers in the pre-ejaculate of men who practiced perfect-use withdrawal.
Source: contraceptionjournal.org/article/S0010-7824(24)00250-6/fulltext
