How long can sperm survive outside the body?

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Not long. It all depends on the environment.

Sperm can survive for about an hour outside the body. Thanks to its lifeline—Semen—sperm stays alive during and after ejaculation. As long as the semen remains wet and moist, the sperm will survive. So when a guy ejaculates on someone’s leg, back, stomach, near the vagina, or anywhere on the body, sperm can have a short, wild life. sperm

In the vaginal canal, sperm can survive for about six hours.  Humans and all animals are meant to reproduce, and our bodies work with that in mind. So, after the semen and sperm enter the body it’s a whole new game.  In the vaginal canal, sperm can last for 6 hour or so—depending on the environment. Some vaginas aid sperm in fast, save travel—others which at times can be more acidic or infectious, slow down the process and decompose sperm. 

Once sperm goes through the cervix and into the uterus, it can last for up to seven days.  There’s a whole other world waiting for sperm once they are in the uterus and fallopian tubes.  The environment there makes it possible for sperm to live up to seven days.  (The average however is between 3-4 days). 

Sperm Trivia:

  • A man has approximately 280 million sperm per ejaculate; a pig has 800 million sperm per ejaculate.
  • It takes 2-3 minutes for cow’s sperm to reach the fallopian tubes; and it take 5 to 68 minutes for a man’s sperm to take the same journey.
  • Fruit flies have sperm larger than the body of a house fly, whereas humans have the smallest sperm cells.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09kLIsNfaO8

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s Education Department carefully selects all weekly questions. All questions are actual inquiries made to PPNNE by college-aged students.

Do you have a question you would like to see included?  Please email goddess@ppnne.org

 

2 thoughts on “How long can sperm survive outside the body?

  1. In my own experiments with sperm and a microscope, the sperm I collected was still moving 3 hours after collection. I collected sperm straight from the source in a clean stainless steel container. I placed samples on a slide, and viewed them at different intervals. I did not use a coverslip on the slide. The samples taken from the collection bowl seemed in better shape as time went on than the ones placed on the slide in the beginning of my experiment, due to them staying moist longer. Drying out caused cesation of movement. At 3 hours I concluded my experiment. The sperm in the collection bowl was stll alive and moving.

  2. I wonder if the sperm is still alive outside and it is somehow rubbed on the vagina or inserted can the woman still get pregnant. A test like that would be interesting to see. I also think that temperature plays a part in how long sperm stays alive. Very informative. Thanks

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