Sperm life span greatly affects the ability to conceive and give birth. In a normal healthy male, the sperm’s lifetime is enough for them to travel and form a zygote with an egg. Poor sperm health can shorten their lifespan and is one of the causes of infertility. So how many days sperm live in female body?
The ability of sperm to survive in different environments is different because temperature, air, etc. are all influencing factors. There are 3 main groups of environments where sperm normally exist: in the male genitalia, in the female genitalia, and in the external environment.
Contents
If sperm in the male genitalia
Sperm is the genetic material produced in the testes, with the help of many male sex organs. Each sperm carries the father’s signature chromosome with a very small size, which can only be observed through a microscope. They are shaped like tadpoles with large heads and elongated tails.
Normally, men produce sperm continuously with an amount of about 100 million sperm per day. The sperm produced will be stored in the seminal vesicles and survive for about 74 days. If after this time, the sperm will not be ejaculated and will self-destruct.
Sperm are mixed with a fluid to form semen, which is expelled through the penis during orgasm, both during sex and masturbation. With this life span and productive capacity, men are able to have regular sex, ensure reproductive function and maintain the breed.
If sperm in the female genitalia
The lifespan of sperm in the female reproductive organs is very important because it determines whether the sperm can reach the egg and fertilize it or not. The first thing to know is that when you ejaculate, sperm is mixed in a fluid (called semen). After entering the female vagina, the semen will liquefy so that the sperm can swim out of the semen into the vagina and uterus.
After a few hours of liquefaction, if the sperm do not swim out of the semen, the enzyme in this fluid will destroy the sperm on its own. Since the life span of these sperm is only a few hours, they are not able to reach the egg.
With healthy sperm swimming out of the semen into the vagina, their lifespan will depend on the natural environment in this organ. In the female genitalia, there is always a naturally acidic environment with mucus. This is also the right environment for sperm to survive and swim easily to the egg.
With these right conditions, sperm can live up to 5-6 days from intercourse. However, most sperm die in the cervix after 24-48 hours. For women with poor health of the genital organs, which is common, such as a vaginal environment with high acidity or little mucus, and poor nutrition, the lifetime of sperm is also reduced.
If this factor is taken into account, couples can increase the chances of successful conception. Specifically, women have the most “fertile” cervical mucus in the few days before ovulation, so having sex during this time, sperm will live longest, and easiest to travel to the egg to form a zygote.
If sperm in another environment
The environment outside the reproductive organs of both men and women is often not ideal for sperm survival. However, they can still survive for less time in environments such as water, air, condoms, etc.
Sperm live in water
Sperm can live in water but require very strict temperature, pH, and chemical conditions. For example, in swimming pools or chlorinated water conditions, sperm cannot survive but will die within seconds.
Sperm live in atmospheric conditions
Sperm out of tissues, carpets, sheets, floors, etc. cannot survive for long. Their maximum lifetime is usually only a few minutes with wet surface conditions, no chemicals, etc. If semen dries out of the environment, the sperm will die immediately.
If sperm are ejaculated near the vagina and still have good temperature and humidity conditions, they can survive up to 20 minutes. This time can help sperm enter the vagina and find the egg. This is the reason why many men ejaculate outside but women still get pregnant.
Sperm live in a condom
The lifespan of sperm in a condom depends on many factors such as:
Material: if condoms contain spermicide, they will die after a few minutes. Otherwise, the lifetime of sperm can be up to 10-15 minutes.
Temperature and humidity: The right ambient temperature and a tight condom mouth prevent semen from drying out, and sperm can live up to several hours.
Most condoms today contain harmful substances, so sperm cannot live for a long time.
Final thought
So how long sperm live depends on the environment in which it exists and environmental conditions. Among the male reproductive organs, sperm can live the longest. In female reproductive organs, sperm can survive long enough to reach an egg and fertilize it.
Top News hopes this article can help you learn more about how many days sperm live in the female body and wishes you all the best!
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