Q&A: Semen, etc.

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SPERM, SEMEN, PRE-EJACULATE

PLEASE READ BEFORE ASKING YOUR QUESTION:

Many of you have questions about semen and sperm. Please - before you ask your question, look through these questions below and see if your answer is already there. Duplicate or similar questions will not be posted. Above all, stay safe! Your local family planning clinic can answer your questions as well as provide you with a reliable form of birth control.

Here are some of the questions we have received:

If a small spot of semen is found on a bed sheet, for example, will it be a matter of say 20 minutes or hours until the sperm is dead and not able to cause a pregnancy?

Can dry semen be a threat if it gets wet later? Can it be "reactivated?"

My question is if your clothes are not washed could sperm survive for a week on clothes or not? Isn't that like being exposed to air, cloth? If you could just clarify because it seems confusing.

I was wondering if sperm can live for a long time on toilet seats or not? Like for a 2-3 hours?

Can sperm get through clothing like pants? Or does clothing act as a barrier?

How long does sperm live in air?

Sperm & Semen Information:

The difference between semen and sperm: Semen is the ejaculatory fluid in which sperm live.

Unless semen comes into DIRECT contact with your vagina, while the semen is still WET, you are not at risk of pregnancy. If your boyfriend masturbates just before seeing you or while he's with you, stay on the safe side and tell him to wash and dry his hands after masturbating. However, even if he doesn't wash his hands, if it has dried, you are safe, even if his hands get wet again.

We cannot with certainty give you an EXACT TIME. It all depends on however long it takes to dry. Semen dries very quickly when exposed to air and once they have dried, the sperm are dead. Once semen is dried up on any surface, there is no chance of pregnancy. This applies to toilet sheets, clothing (even if NOT washed after sperm was released on them), sheets, hands or other body parts, etc. Once exposed to the air, sperm die very quickly.

Use common sense! If you are wearing thin or lacey underwear and your partner ejaculates next to your vagina on the outside of the underwear, YES, the semen COULD get through the underwear. For the most part, semen can't get through most clothing, but there are always exceptions. To be safest, please use condoms, even when just "fooling around" or another reliable birth control method. If you are going to that extent in your sexual activities, then it is time to visit your family planning center and learn to stay safe!

If you think you are at risk of pregnancy, go to your nearest family planning for a pregnancy test and birth control. You can get even more questions answered in person.

We have posted some of the other questions asked regarding sperm - please read on:

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SPERM/SEMEN QUESTIONS

Sperm burning

What can I do to get my sperm to stop burning my wife and to get my prostate to give off the proper amount of fluids? I'm 22 - is pre-ejaculation common?

First, if your sperm is causing a burning sensation in your wife, then you BOTH need to go to a doctor ASAP and find out why. The doctor can also help with your questions about the "proper amount of fluids." If by pre ejaculation, you mean "pre-ejaculate," the fluid that appears at the tip of a penis when aroused, then YES it is very common.

If you mean "premature ejaculation" then, yes, that is common as well, especially in younger men like you.

Please go see a provider as soon as possible and all your questions will be answered. Good luck.

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No pre-ejaculate

I have been with my fiance for five years. We have unprotected sex almost all the time. At first when we had unprotected sex I was concerned about the pregnancy issue. Each time that we make love he pulls out. I noticed a long time ago that my fiance does not pre-cum. I have double checked time and time and time again. Is this a possible health issue? Is it normal for some guys to not precum? And also, do you think that when we choose a time to have a baby that him not pre-ejaculating will add some sort of conflict?

It sounds as if you're using withdrawal (the pull-out method) consistently, and that is certainly better than no birth control at all. Some experts believe that withdrawal may be more than 70% effective--not bad, but not the 99% effectiveness rate of the pill, the patch, the shot, or the IUD.

As for the lack of pre-cum (also known as pre-ejaculate), we would say do not worry. As long as he's coming (ejaculating) after he withdraws, chances are good that you will be able to become pregnant. If you're very serious about NOT becoming pregnant now, we'd recommend adding another method to withdrawal--perhaps a vaginal spermicide--to decrease your chances of an unwanted pregnancy.

And if you're considering pregnancy in the future, it's important to have regular exams with your family planning provider or gynecologist to make sure that you do not have any health issues or infections that might make it difficult for you to become pregnant when you're ready.

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Wet dreams and semen...

I'm paranoid about there being semen on objects in my house. During the summer I had a wet dream in my bed, but I was too embarrassed to tell my parents so I avoided sleeping in there. I began to sleep on my couches in the basement, assuming that eventually I would be able to tell them.

However, I ended up having wet dreams on both of my couches as well. Then my parents cleaned the sheets I had slept with, and I’m worried there was semen on those too. Then I began to become paranoid, thinking things such as “if they touched the washing machine/light switch/etc there must be semen on that too.”

It’s been over a week since the incidents on the couches and I’m wondering if I should still be worried about there being semen present on them, or anything in my house for that matter. Thank you for taking the time to read my question.

Hi there. Thanks for writing in. I know that wet dreams can be kind of embarrassing and hard to talk about. The thing to keep in mind is that they are totally normal and nothing to be ashamed of - it happens to all boys during puberty. You asked if you should be worried about semen being on objects in the house, and the answer is no. Sperm (in the semen) do not live very long once they leave the body. The semen dries much like any other body fluid might, and the sperm become inactive. I am not sure what your specific concern is, but I hope this information helps you to not be so worried. Your body is doing what it is supposed to as it grows into an adult body. Take Care.

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Turkey baster

Can the use of a turkey baster help the semen for one to get pregnant? Does the turkey baser put the sperm closer to the fallopian tube compared to regular unprotected sex? How effective is the sperm in the condom. And how long does the sperm last in the condom? If you have sex and your partner ejaculates on your inner thigh and you place that sperm in you as far as you can get with your finger, how effective is the sperm? Thank you for your time.

The answer to your first question is yes, a turkey baster can--and has--been used to put sperm in the vagina, and, yes, women using this technique do get pregnant. The answer to your second question is no, a turkey baster doesn't get any closer to the fallopian tubes than a penis. A penis or a turkey baster deposit sperm in your vagina, and sperm from either source will have to travel up through the cervix and through the uterus before they make it to the fallopian tubes, and finally the ovaries.

Ideally sperm should be collected in a clean, dry container. Sperm begins to deteriorate rapidly at room temperature, and the motility of sperm--its ability to swim to an egg--is reduced if the sperm are exposed to water or lubricant. And obviously if you're using condoms with spermicide, the spermicide kills off the sperm.

I'm concerned because it sounds from your questions as if the person whose sperm you'd like to use will not know that you're planning to use it. This is wrong. We believe firmly in choice, and a man who consistently uses condoms or withdrawal does NOT sound like a man who is choosing to have children. If you're trying to get pregnant and you don't have a partner, we recommend looking for a reputable sperm bank. They have sperm from WILLING donors, and they also test all their donors for sexually transmitted infections.

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Unable to get erection

My husband is 54 and is worried that is penis is unable to erect. He does not wake up with an erection anymore and nothing he thinks about seems to help. He gets burning feeling in the scrotum area and it is very dry as if his sperm is not re-producing. Is this an age thing or can something be done about this?

It is not unusual for men to have a slightly decreased sex drive and fewer nighttime erections as they get older. If your husband is completely unable to have an erection, though, he should check in with his health care provider—no erections (known as erectile dysfunction or ED) can be caused by an underlying medical condition such as diabetes, blocked blood vessels, alcoholism, or nerve disease, or even by medications such as antidepressants.

Even if your husband weren’t concerned about erections, I’d recommend he check in with a provider because of his symptoms of burning and dryness. The burning can be a sign of an infection or a problem with his prostate gland. It’s recommended that men over 50 have their prostate glands checked yearly as a part of their annual physical.

Once your husband has been evaluated, his provider will be able to recommend treatments or medications to help with his ED.

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Semen leaking

After I had sexual relationship with my husband, when he takes his penis out, semen discharged inside my vagina is also coming out. I am trying to get pregnant. Is this normal or else why is it happening?

Yes, it is normal after sexual intercourse, when a condom is not used, for semen to remain inside the vagina, and also to leak out of the vagina. This is to be expected and should not diminish your chances of becoming pregnant. Good Luck!

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Mustard or cold cream?

Can mustard oil or cold cream if applied on penis and the labia cause the sperm to die or make them ineffective when ejaculated outside the vagina or inside the vagina so as to not cause pregnancy?

NO. Use an effective, approved method of birth control. Be careful - you may cause damage to your body.

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Does cervix block sperm?

I was wondering if the cervix allows sperm into the uterus even if there is already sperm in there? For example, if you have sex on Saturday, Sunday, and Thursday, after the sex on Saturday how much if any sperm will get into the uterus? Or does the cervix block incoming sperm?

The cervix does not block sperm regardless of the frequency of intercourse. Therefore, you must use protection EVERY SINGLE TIME you have sex if you do not wish to become pregnant.

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Pregnancy from sperm applied by hand

My friend and her boyfriend have had sex before, but of course being her first time it hurt a little. Her and her boyfriend want to get pregnant and she told me that she was going to have her boyfriend masturbate and then when he was going to come he would come into her hands (her hands would be washed) and then she was going to immediately put his sperm on her vagina and rub/smear it up and in her vagina.

Can she get pregnant? I think that she can but my second and main question is...does that make the sperm have some kind of defect? if she got pregnant would she have a higher risk of birth defects because she didn't have actual"sex" or would the sperm not have any defects and her baby have no birth defects due to how they did it?

I am concerned about my friend and I just want to make sure that her baby won't have a birth defect due to the way her and her boyfriend are planning on doing it...thank you.

The scenario that you describe will significantly lower the chances of a pregnancy occurring. Sperm are very fragile. Regarding the risk of a damaged sperm, birth defects are caused by many things of which only a small number are related to genetic material in sperm and what you describe does not cause this kind of damage. If your friend wants to get pregnant without having intercourse, then her best bet is to seek medical help with artificial insemination with her partner's sperm.

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Sex in a pool

Three days ago I engaged in some sexual activity in a heated pool. The male did not ejaculate, and the penis entered my body (in-and-out fast) 2 or 3 times. I have never had sex before, and am due for my period in about 2-2.5 weeks. I am aware of the "pre-cum", but was not sure if the water helped eliminate that or at least the chances...could I be pregnant?

Any time you engage in unprotected sex, you are at risk for pregnancy. Having sex in a heated pool does not lower your chances. Pre-ejaculate can occur while his penis is inside you. The fact that he did not ejaculate inside you lowers your chances, but the fact that you may have been in a dangerous part of your cycle (mid-cycle) works against you.

If your period does not come, go see family planning as soon as possible. If your period does come, and you plan to continue having sex, please go see your provider or local family planning clinic before having sex again to find out what your options are for preventing pregnancy. Putting yourself through this emotional stress is no fun and completely avoidable.

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Husband's ejaculations enough?

I am 35 years old my husband is 51. We are trying to conceive. I have three children from prior marriage 20, 16,10. He has two daughters 32, 27. I notice that his ejaculations are small amounts. He won't seek medical advice but wants it to happen naturally. What are our odds? I am ovulating and have regular periods.

From what you describe it appears that your chances of conceiving are good. Both of you have proven your fertility with previous pregnancies. The average volume of semen is about a tablespoon. 85% of couple conceive within the first year of trying. Given each of your ages it is appropriate to seek fertility counseling before the year end mark. The easiest thing to do first is for your husband to get a semen analysis. Good luck.

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Use boyfriend's sperm without him knowing

A friend of mine had intercourse with her boyfriend he was wearing a condom, about 1/2 hour later she injected the sperm into herself - can she get pregnant? Second question: if he ejaculated in her mouth and she spit it into a cup and injected into herself can she get pregnant??

Yes, a person could conceivably get pregnant in both the scenarios you describe. However, if she is doing this without telling her boyfriend, it is dishonest, underhanded, unethical, sneaky, and not in the best interest of the child that could possibly result. It is better to be in a loving, committed relationship where BOTH people want the child before deciding to get pregnant.

Also keep in mind that, according to recent court rulings, she'll likely have no right to child support, and she could be sued for mental anguish.

Please tell your friend to think long and hard before engaging in this behavior and possibly consider counseling to help her better understand her situation.

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Life of sperm

How long does a sperm live after intercourse?

Once a man ejaculates into a woman's vagina, the sperm begin their journey. Here's a brief description:

Sperm swim through the cervix and into the uterus, then on into the oviducts, where they temporarily rest. Eventually they may meet the egg. Some sperm rest in the walls of the cervix. After a few days they continue their journey upwards. What you should know is that for up to five days after intercourse, there is a steady stream of sperm reaching the oviducts - and often an egg!

So, if you do not wish to get pregnant, make sure you are using a reliable form of birth control because these guys are determined!

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Wash hands after?

I was wondering if it's necessary to wash your hands after sex. I'm married, monogamous and neither of us has an STD. I worry even if any sexual fluids are dry on my hands or on the bed that if I touch objects around the house or if someone sits on our bed that the dried fluids could get on their hands etc. Is this possible or anything to be concerned about or abnormal paranoia?

It isn't completely necessary if neither of you has any infections. Good hygiene would dictate washing up a bit, but it won't hurt anything if you don't. So, yes you are being a bit paranoid.

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Sperm life in a jar

How long does sperm live? Can sperm live in a jar that's sealed tightly? I was wondering cause my boyfriend is in prison and he wants me to get get pregnant by a doctor inserting his sperm and the only way he can send me his sperm is through a jar from a doctor's office.

Sperm will not live in a jar more than an hour or so and they must be kept at body temperature to ensure good motility. You plan would make it very unlikely that any sperm would survive for insemination.

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Condom came off

Me and my girlfriend had sex. After I had an orgasm, we stopped for a minute and continued to have sex. When I pulled out again, I noticed that the condom was gone. About five minutes later, I checked inside her and found the condom with no sperm left inside it. The condom was a spermicide one and I've heard that those are more effective against pregnancy, could she still be pregnant?

Unfortunately, yes, she could get pregnant from what you describe. The fact that the condom did have spermicide in it does help, but some sperm could have escaped in this situation. This would be a good case for Emergency Contraception, which is birth control you take within three to five days (preferably within three days) AFTER sex to prevent pregnancy.

In the future, ALWAYS pull out immediately after you orgasm. If you continue to have sex or stay inside her, you will lose your erection, causing the condom to come off, as is what happened to you this time. Additionally, if you really do not want to become pregnant, perhaps your girlfriend might consider going on the pill or using a diaphragm in addition to condoms.

Your local family planning office can give you information about Emergency Contraception, plus tell you about methods of birth control. Please call them soon. Take care.

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Masturbation before sex

If I masturbate at around 6:30 AM and I have unprotected sex around 8:30 PM, but pull out before ejaculation, is there any possibility of getting my girl pregnant?

Yes. Any time you have sex without a reliable form of birth control, you risk pregnancy. Withdrawal before ejaculation is not considered a reliable form of birth control. If you do not wish to become pregnant with your girl, please go to your local provider and talk to him or her about a reliable form of contraception.

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Semen in public bathrooms

Have you ever heard of someone getting pregnant from semen left by an unknown person in a restroom? Is it possible to get pregnant if you come into contact with sperm even if you cannot visibly see the semen, especially in public places, or changing rooms?

No, you cannot get pregnant from semen in a bathroom. Semen must be deposited in the vagina for pregnancy to occur. It is theoretically possible for sperm to travel from just at the opening to the vagina (and I am talking about the full contents of an ejaculation) to the cervix and cause a pregnancy. I am unaware of any pregnancies that have been the result of this.

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Sperm in first ejaculation after urinating?

I recently heard that pre-cum doesn't contain sperm if it is the first ejaculation after a guy has urinated. Meaning if a guy has gone to the bathroom and then that is the first time he is sexually aroused after that then that pre-cum doesn't contain sperm. is that really true?

There has been some research on this issue and it appears that there are very few sperm in the pre-ejaculatory fluid at any time. It is not recommended that one relies on this a birth control method or that pregnancy is still not possible.

You can still contract STDs and you can still get pregnant. ALWAYS use birth control if you are having sex and do not want to become pregnant.

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