[Brandye]

Hold on, Bote. If you want a fight, you can usually find one. You have quoted a journalists version of what was published in Contraception 79 (2009) pp. 407-410. Go read the article. Rachel Jones, whom I know, is Senior Researcher at the Guttmacher Institute. This Institute is a spinoff from Planned Parenthood and is an excellent research facility working in support of the WHO.

The little article you cite is very selective in what was taken from the original article. For instance, the two percent theoretical failure of the condom is shown as 17 percent in actual use. And the four percent failure of withdrawal is shown as nearly five times that IN MOTIVATED and trained couples. The article goes on to explain that there is some difficulty in studying the effectiveness of withdrawal because most couples use it in conjunction with other methods. Jones' conclusion is that it is more widely used method than most researchers believe with better effectiveness than many give credit in couples who are self-limiting their conception.

For practical purposes, withdrawal for teens who really do not know what they are doing, withdrawal is nearly useless.

Before you get all worked up over being abused, you should check original citations rather than some blogger (or semi-journalist) who does not know how to read scientific literature. You will find that Rachel uses some of the same words I did in qualifying how withdrawal can be successful. Trained, motivated.

In third world countries where nothing else is conveniently available, teaching the population how to use withdrawal can be effective. I have done it. That does not mean I am willing to recommend to a bunch of people who "have done it twice"" (quote from a post today) that they depend upon it.

You did not go to great lengths but the "journalists" went to some lengths to twist Rachel's findings.