Jenna

So, either my guy and I are unbelievably lucky, or I'm infertile. I'm not planning on having children anytime soon - but it still is worrying me.

So, my guy and I have been together for 3+ years. We've been having sex for that entire time. We used a condom in the beginning, got tested, and then I went on HBC. HBC was awful for me - I lost my sex drive entirely. So I decided to get off of it. So that was about a year of protected sex.

After that, we kind of got "lazy" and decided to just use the pull-out method. We've been doing that for 2+ years. And, to my amazement, I haven't gotten pregnant.

I've never had a UTI or yeast infection to my knowledge. My menstrual cycle is pretty crazy though, I'll go a month without getting my period (which can lead to many pregnancy scares) and then I'll get it the next month. It just hit me the other day that, "hey, we've been doing it using the pull-out method for 2 years, WHY HAVEN'T I GOTTEN PREGNANT YET?" Either my boyfriend is perfect at pulling out, or he just has no sperm in his pre-ejaculate... or I'm infertile, or there's something wrong with me?

I don't know, am I over thinking this? Should I be concerned?

I know it's not my boyfriend who has the issues - as he's gotten a woman pregnant before dating me, but she ended up getting an abortion.

little_tippler

I have thought about this often, though I have never tested it like you have!

It really could just be luck. But I'd definitely be worried like you.

Now you suspect it, why not go to your gyno and check things out? If nothing else, they might be able to put your mind at rest and really confirm whether it's possible to go that long unprotected (while making the conscious effort to "pull out") and still not get pregnant.

That being said, here's a little snippet of information for you I found elsewhere:

"Clinical infertility is defined as the inability of a woman to conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse, or the inability to carry a child to term".

But this refers to people who are actively trying to get pregnant, so take it with a grain of salt.

This is also interesting to know:

"The chances for a pregnancy in healthy couples who are both under the age of 30 and having sex regularly is only 25 - 30% per month. A woman's peak fertility occurs in her early 20s. As a woman ages beyond 35 (and especially after age 40), the likelihood of getting pregnant drops to less than 10% per month."

I'd definitely go for an appointment myself.

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jewels

Go to the doc, if you really want to know.

Pulling out somewhat reduces the likelihood of pregnancy. But besides that, lemme tell you why I thought I couldn't get pregnant when I was a wee lass.

Many moons ago, my first boyfriend and I engaged in nightly intercourse for about a year. No pullouts, no condom. (Yeah yeah, I know.) And he wasn't sterile (went on to have kids a couple of years later). And I became pregnant about a year later from someone else. And I've been very fertile and easy to impregnate throughout my bearing years.

I don't profess to know the science behind it. I'm just saying don't be scared. Maybe it's chemistry, maybe it's just the odds playing.

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Impetuous1

Holy Cow! Jenna you just described something I've been wondering about lately. We've also been using the pull-out method for about two years and no pregnancy here either. I only realized this when I made my gyno appointment and they said I didn't go last year. Oops! Then I remember mentioning to her that I didn't need a script for the pill. I'd been on the pill since I was about 18-30 and was having side effects that I'd never had before so I decided to stop taking it. Now I'm wondering if either he or I are infertile. I'll have to bring it up when I go to the gyno.

So, you're not alone in this.

*Nikki*

If you ask me, it's timing.

I did the pull out method for SIX YEARS with my ex (he was not infertile and neither am I), never got preggo. Remember in order to conceive in the first place you only have a small window of time. Seems to me you were lucky in that "the boys" were not in the right place at the right time OR he is just really good at pulling out.

I got pregnant just fine when I was actually trying to.

Medusa

My husband and I used the pullout/rhythm method for about 3 years. He pulled out for about 2 years and the last year only during my "fertile" time...and one month my body decided to ovulate earlier than normal and I now have a 6 year old. HBC was also a bitch for me so I feel for you there.

I'm with Nikki...it's all about timing.

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