We use withdrawal!
Condoms make me feel gross (the collection of fluids at the bottom afterwards, ick!) plus my boyfriend doesn't enjoy it as much with a condom (neither do I tbh) do from fairly early in our relationship we stopped using them - pretty much as soon as we had both been checked for any nasties and agreed that we were exclusive. Like it said in the article, we both knew pretty early on that we were in it for the long haul, plus we had already lost a baby (which was conceived with a condom!) so we felt comfortable using the injection as our sole contraceptive. I put on a shitload of weight, so came off after a year and switched to the mini pill, as I can't take the combined pill (migraines) which was great - no side effects, no weight gain pr anything. We both were happy to continue using the mini pill, until I fell pregnant! After that, we used the withdrawal method for just under a year with no problems at all, but my job situation changed and it became too risky so I got another depo shot in May - worst move ever!
We are now withdrawing again and once my cycles regulate we are going to use a persona monitor to track my fertile times, and withdraw during these. The rest of the month, we will not use contraception.
I think to suggest that it is for women who want to trick their partners into a surprise baby is shocking! Any woman who can do that to a man she supposedly loves is wicked. I would actually say it is putting more responsibility on the man and giving him the power to prevent the pregnancy, as he is the one who knows when he is about to finish. My boyfriend is fully aware of the risks of using this method of contraception, and whilst yes, I would love to be one of those minority of women who have a surprise pregnancy (and my partner knows this) - that is not the reason we use the withdrawal method! It is simply about finding the method which works for BOTH of us and sticking to it.
I agree with the point made by one of the ladies in the article about it strengthening your bond. By letting my boyfriend control whether or not his sperm ends up inside me, I am putting my trust in him and showing that I am not going to bugger off. He is showing me, by accepting the risk of pregnancy, that he is willing to put me before himself. It makes us communicate better in the bedroom (he has to tell me when he is getting close etc) so yes, it is NOT about me tricking him into having a baby!!
