All the details may seem necessary when looking for a pregnancy, so knowing what happens to semen or sperm during sexual intercourse can help you understand how this concept of conception works. Sperm acquires different characteristics depending on whether it faces a hostile environment (such as the air) or a welcoming environment (such as your vagina), allowing the sperm to be preserved and reach their ultimate goal: one of your eggs.
If you want to know more about this process, we invite you to continue reading this FastlyHealarticle in which we answer the question: ” Is it normal for sperm to come out after sexual intercourse? “.
Table of Contents
What is sperm?
Semen or sperm is the liquid produced by the male genital organs expelled during ejaculation. It contains different elements:
- Sperm (between 200 and 400 million per ejaculation).
- Hormones
- Minerals: phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc.
- Amino acids.
- Prostaglandins.
- Citric acid.
- Fats: cholesterol, phospholipids.
- Enzymes: alkaline phosphatase, fibrinolysin, fibrinogenase.
All these elements contribute to the ultimate goal of reproduction through the union of a sperm with the female ovum.
Is it normal for sperm to come out after intercourse?
One thing that can help you understand why semen comes out of the vagina after sexual intercourse is the sperm after ejaculation.
During the male orgasm, a contraction occurs at the genital level that causes the semen to be expelled into the vagina. Although semen is viscous when it is ejaculated when exposed to the air and its temperature drops, it solidifies and becomes drier, taking the appearance of a dry tail, but what happens when it comes into contact with another type of environment is different. When it is inside the vagina, it becomes more liquid due to the temperature of the vagina, but a part of the semen remains attached. All of this “behavior” is known from experiments that have been performed.
When the sperm is deposited at the bottom of the vagina, near the cervix, it comes into contact with the cervical mucus, which is a substance secreted by the woman and that during the fertile days is the best home for the sperm (this happens during the periovulatory period, close to day 14 of the menstrual cycle). This mucus will have different characteristics at other times of the female menstrual cycle, which will not facilitate the arrival of sperm to the female egg.
Once in contact with the cervical mucus, healthy and active sperm follow two paths:
- A part of them ascends rapidly (between 5 and 10 minutes) to the fallopian tube, where they will then meet the female ovum to attempt fertilization.
- Others will stay deep in the cervix, a space made easier by female orgasm, where cervical mucus selects them (discards abnormal sperm) and nurtures those who survive, waiting to ascend. They can be in this area for up to 5 or 7 days, slowly rising towards the uterus if the mucus has enough estrogen (which happens in the days around ovulation).
So, as part of the semen becomes fluid. Another does not. This is why you may notice that some liquid comes out after sexual intercourse. A portion of the sperm comes out: the liquid and other remains stuck, in that part are. Thus, most sperm have the possibility of passing through the neck on their way to the uterus, or they remain in the cervical mucus. In this way, the option of pregnancy is viable, even if you think that all the semen has come out of your vagina.
If sperm comes out, can I get pregnant?
As we have seen, when sperm comes into contact with a warm and humid environment (such as that of the vagina), it becomes liquid, and a part of it remains attached to the bottom of the vagina in contact with the cervix. The sperm are housed there. Some of them quickly ascend to the fallopian tubes in search of an egg to fertilize, while other millions are left waiting for a possible better time to go up.
Pregnancy can occur if it coincides with one of the ascending sperm being active and healthy enough, and you have ovulated in the days close to sexual intercourse.
It is imperative when looking for a pregnancy that both are healthy, your future child will also be beneficial, your pregnancy will be expected and free of complications.
For this, try to implement a healthy lifestyle based on a good diet (raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, water …) and leave out toxic foods full of dyes and preservatives, sugar, dairy, meat, and alcohol and tobacco. It will be much easier to conceive if your body is in balance.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any kind of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.