# How soon after starting intercouse can a penis leak semen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067 "2003-09-22T12:31:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flapcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@flapcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flapcats)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/1 "2003-09-22T12:31:18Z")
Question asked by a collegue: (Yes, really!) He’s worried his wife - who had their first baby 7 months ago - is pregnant again. He’s been withdrawing instead of using proper contraceptives and thinks there may have been pre-orgasmic leakage, but can’t tell. How likely is it that he’s impregnated his wife again? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/2 "2003-09-22T12:35:43Z")
Before intercourse. Shortly after an erection. ---
**Author:** ![flapcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@flapcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flapcats)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/3 "2003-09-22T12:53:20Z")
All the time, every time?? ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/4 "2003-09-22T13:02:02Z")
[http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/womens/contra09.htm#dis](http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/womens/contra09.htm#dis) Or, perhaps a better explanation of the problem with the withdrawal method: [http://www.sexhealth.org/birthcontrol/withdrawal.shtml](http://www.sexhealth.org/birthcontrol/withdrawal.shtml) As to whether it happens “all the time, every time”, I don’t know, but assuming he’s a healthy male, the likelihood of sperm being present is likely high. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/5 "2003-09-22T13:03:22Z")
It can happen right away without an ejaculation. Small amounts of sperm can get out, especially if the man is very aroused. It varies in different men, but one can pull out and think they are fine, when in fact they have just impregnated their significant other with out even knowing it. It is not a fool proof contraceptive method by any stretch of the imagination. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/6 "2003-09-22T14:01:57Z")
A grown man is using withdrawal as birth control? Neither he nor his wife have a clue that this just might not be the most effective method? The mind boggles. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/7 "2003-09-22T14:07:11Z")
> [@](#): > > A grown man is using withdrawal as birth control? Neither he nor his wife have a clue that this just might not be the most effective method? The mind boggles. This is one of the methods they are teaching in the high school as a method of birth control. The one that REALLY pissed me off was when they told the guys that if they didn’t have a condom that they could use saran wrap. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/8 "2003-09-22T14:20:03Z")
Let’s just call acknowledge the presence of the 800-pound gorilla in this thread and call it by its name: Catholicism strike again! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/9 "2003-09-22T14:22:09Z")
Semen can escape the penis at almost _any_ time, with or without an erection. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/10 "2003-09-22T14:29:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by acsenray \* > \*\*Semen can escape the penis at almost _any_ time, with or without an erection. \*\* In my mind I can hear the theme from _Mission Impossible_ and the clank of grappling hooks. Isabelle, I’m astonished that any high school would teach such rubbish. Do you have a cite? I’m certain this is something an R.C. high school would not teach though. ---
**Author:** ![TheLadyLion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d78d45/32.png) [@TheLadyLion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLadyLion)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/11 "2003-09-22T14:32:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Isabelle \* > \*\*This is one of the methods they are teaching in the high school as a method of birth control. The one that REALLY pissed me off was when they told the guys that if they didn’t have a condom that they could use saran wrap. \*\* Welcome back to the “dark ages.” I used to teach Human Sexuality at a community college in Iowa, and it blew my mind how ignorant so many of the young adults were. Now I understand why. Coitus interruptus is NEVER considered birth control. It’s what kids and young adults use when they are in denial and think “it can’t happen to me.” And ignore **Padeye’s** sarcasm. He’s in one of his moods this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/12 "2003-09-22T14:40:02Z")
R.C. catecism I was 15 getting ready to be confirmed when a Nun informed the class that a woman could get pregnant through her jeans whilst _heavy petting_… I sh\*t you not. Sorry my cite is dead, this was 18 years ago. This was also the nun who showed the class late term abortion videos… And my people wonder why Phlosphr never set foot in a catholic church again…:shruggs: ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/13 "2003-09-22T14:41:34Z")
Err. that should read…“And **Many** people wonder why Phlosphr…” ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/14 "2003-09-22T14:46:59Z")
Isabelle, I highly doubt any school is teaching withdrawal as a valid birth-control method. If some renegade (read: stupid) teacher is throwing that in his curriculum, you should report him to your board of education IMMEDIATELY. But it is true that one can use plastic wrap as a barrier. Definitely not perfect and definitely not recommended; but if two crazy kids are determined to go at it and discover they just ran out of condoms and the choice is either nothing at all or plastic wrap, then use the plastic wrap. I would imagine that’s what schools might be saying. I doubt they are presenting plastic wrap in the same breath as the pill, IUD, Norplant, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/15 "2003-09-22T14:48:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > \*\*Let’s just call acknowledge the presence of the 800-pound gorilla in this thread and call it by its name: Catholicism strike again! \*\* Nope, let`s just assume that they abort all their unwanted pregnancies, - I mean, really, what kind of response is that? ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/16 "2003-09-22T15:25:54Z")
My H.S teacher taught about withdrawal. She said it was ineffective, blah, blah, blah. BUT if you \* must\* use that method (which really sucks) here’s the theory. Her thoughts were it’s better to be informed, and know it doesn’t work, than not know anything at all. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/17 "2003-09-22T15:29:11Z")
We were taught half a dozen methods, including, yes, absolutely nothing, withdrawal and rhythm. The point was, we were given the yearly percentage failure rates of each (though I never found out how many times those figures assumed we would have sex each year…) It’s quite frightening how high some of those were. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/18 "2003-09-22T15:57:45Z")
What do they call people who use coitus interruptus as birth control? Parents. Favorite line from Hill Street Blues: Cop: What’s your name? Skel: Curtis. Cop: Curtis what? Skel: Curtis Interruptus. ---
**Author:** ![Sarah23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sarah23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah23)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/19 "2003-09-22T18:10:49Z")
Some married couples use this method if they know they won’t be completely devastated if a pregnancy were to occur. Kind of like “not trying” but not really _not_ trying, kwim? lol They say without any form of BC a fertile couple is almost guaranteed to conceive within a year, and with coitus interruptus it’s a little longer…a few years maybe.But I always under the impression that most “accidents” happened when the male miscalculated his “urge” not from “leaking semen”. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067/20 "2003-09-22T18:36:04Z")
**Evil Captor** , your post is inappropriate for GQ. Please do not do this again. You have been warned. - **xash** General Questions Moderator [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-soon-after-starting-intercouse-can-a-penis-leak-semen/203067.md?page=2)