Even with the best form of protection, there is always a possibility that sexual intercourse can result in an unintended or unwilling pregnancy. There is always a myth in the reproductive science that liquid from the penis before ejaculation called “Precum”, can enter the vagina without either party knowing and lead to pregnancy. Experts with best medical practices have tried to answer some of the queries regarding this liquid-

What is Precum, how it is released and what is it’s purpose?

Precum, or pre-ejaculate fluid, is the substance that comes out of a man’s penis when he’s sexually excited but before an orgasm.

It’s discharged from the bulbourethral glands, also known as Cowper’s glands—two pea-sized glands located between the prostate and the base of the penis.

It is known for protecting sperm from the acid environment of the urethra and the vagina and also aids in lubrication to some degree.

What are the chances of viable sperm ratio in Precum vis-à-vis semen?

Semen which is released during ejaculation contains upwards of 200 million sperm per shot, whereas precum contains barely any viable sperm against semen.

What is the likeliness of pregnancy happening  through precum?

Most of the evidence leans toward pre-ejaculate containing no sperm, or only very tiny amounts of sperm. An expert physician-in-residence for the men’s health website tells “A sperm that is found in precum is poor and immobile. Men are considered infertile if they have too little sperm, so the tiny amounts that may be found in pre-ejaculate are extremely unlikely to result in pregnancy.”

Despite pregnancy is highly unlikely through precum, Why it’s not totally impossible?

As per a famous assistant professor of  reproductive sciences, “It just takes one good swimmer”.

If the male partner fixes his penis inside the female vagina even for a moment, there is a possibility of any hardy sperm in his precum to travel past the cervix and fertilize an egg.

What is ‘Pulling Out’ and how it is a poor form of birth control?

Pull out is the process of withdrawal of the penis from the vagina before ejaculation.

As per doctors “The pull-out method, if used perfectly, has a failure rate of about 4%, But in real life it’s more like 22%. Moreover, a man may assume that he withdrew penis before the start of ejaculation, but the timing of orgasm and ejaculation is not always perfectly coordinated”.

Apart from pregnancy, what are the other risks that a Precum carries?

Precum may not have sperm, but it can easily contain any infectious material a person may carry, and this means the disease can be transmitted to a partner.