Semen: top five facts
Semen – sounds like a magic potion of sorts, eh? In some ways, it is. Only men have it and it’s essential for making babies. Here are all the facts.
What is it for?
The main function of semen is to help make babies, of course. When you have vaginal sex without using a condom, the tiny sperm (male reproductive cells) contained in the semen get squirted inside the vagina and start a long swim through the uterus to the fallopian tubes in search of an egg to fertilise. If just one little sperm finds an egg and burrows it’s way inside, voila, you get a baby!
Semen isn’t produced in the testicles but in glands inside the man’s pelvis – the seminal vesicles do most of the job, then the prostate and the bulbourethral glands both add a shot of different fluids to the mixture. The testicles just contribute the payload – the sperm – but that makes up only a tiny proportion of the total.
When a man orgasms the semen rushes through the tubes of his reproductive system comes out of the opening in his penis in between about five and ten spurts. In some men it shoots out like a fountain, in others it just dribbles. But that doesn’t affect how likely they are to get a woman pregnant.
Sometimes men ejaculate in their sleep – this is called having a wet dream. And some men can also orgasm without secreting any semen at all!
Read more about ejaculation.What’s in it?
Let’s start with how semen looks – it’s a white, grey or yellowish jelly-like fluid. It can be thicker or more runny but that has nothing to do with your fertility levels. It depends on a variety of factors like your diet, exercise and even clothing! If your semen looks red or pink in colour, you should get a check-up with your doctor – it might mean you’ve got blood in your semen.
Apart from sperm, the semen has a range of other ingredients. As well as a load of protein, it’s also contains fructose, creatine, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B12, zinc, and even chlorine. Because it’s acidic inside the vagina, the semen is alkaline so the sperm don’t get frazzled.Quantity and quality
On an average, a man produces 2-5ml of semen when he ejaculates – 5ml is a teaspoonful. If you haven’t ejaculated in a long while, the volume might be high and if you ejaculate often, you might not produce as much semen at once. You’ve only got to worry if the quantity is much less than 1.5 ml or way more than 5.5ml.
How many sperm come out when you ejaculate? Well, it’s a lot. The WHO reckons you need about 40 million in an ejaculation to be useful. But two or three hundred million a shot is more usual! Even if you have plenty of sperm enough of them also need to be in good shape and strong swimmers – but it’s actually quite normal if 25 per cent of your sperm are dead when you ejaculate.
Some people think that ejaculating a lot can sap your strength, so you need to save up your sperm, but this is a total myth. You might feel a bit sleepy straight afterwards, and your testosterone level drops, but that doesn’t last long. For the sperm in your semen to be in good shape for fertility, it’s actually best to keep them flowing regularly.
Read fertility tips on getting pregnant for both guys and girls.Nasty diseases
Despite all its virtues and life-giving abilities, semen can carry sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, genital warts, and syphilis. STDs not only spread through vaginal intercourse – they can also spread through oral and anal sex. And no, having a shower after sex doesn’t save you from contracting any STD.
The only way to surely never contract any of them is to abstain from sex. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? But there is an alternative – to always use barrier contraceptives like condoms.
Read more about sexually transmitted diseases.Tasty and nourishing
Is it OK to swallow semen? Yes, of course. It certainly won’t make you put on weight. In fact, it’s packed with protein and vitamins, so it might just make you healthier! Whether you’re up for it or not is a different matter – that’s for you to decide.
But one thing a guy can do is to make sure his semen is tasty! It could taste sour or sweet depending on what you’ve eaten, or whether you’ve drunk alcohol or smoked cigarettes. To make your semen taste good, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet – full with fresh vegetables and fruits. Some studies suggest that eating pineapples makes your semen taste sweeter.
What semen fact were you most surprised by? Or is there a semen fact you feel is missing from the above Top Five? Leave a comment below or join the discussion on Facebook.
Tell us what you think
Recent Comments (54)
This is educative.
This is educative.
We are so glad to hear that,
We are so glad to hear that, Lilian! Have you liked our Facebook page yet? https://www.facebook.com/LoveMattersAfrica
Its very interesting, I love…
Its very interesting, I love jt
We are so glad to hear this…
We are so glad to hear this. Please feel free to go through our website to find other articles you may find of interest.
Nyc!!
Nyc!!
Hi Sammy,
Hi Sammy,
we are glad you like the article. If you want regular updates, you can like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LoveMattersAfrica
How does eating miraa affect
How does eating miraa affect sperm fertility?
Hi John,
Hi John,
actually, as some recent research shows that miraa chewing actually increases fertility. There are other negative effects for your body, so don’t overdo it!
what if you force to urinate
what if you force to urinate after having un
safe sex.will it prevent one from getting std?
Hi there,
Hi there,
unfortunately, no, it won’t. For a woman, it’s advisable to urinate after sex, whether with a condom, or without one, as it can prevent urinary tract infections. But STDs, or pregnancies, for that matter, cannot be prevented by urinating after sex.
thanx 4 the lesson and i have
thanx 4 the lesson and i have seen no scary fact, but my quiz is; Is it wrong to lick a ladies vagina and wat abt if swallow da fluids from her vagina?
Hi Henry,
Hi Henry,
no scary facts when it comes to oral sex, either :-)! Licking a lady’s vagina is totally fine, and so is swallowing vaginal fluid. However, if you are having vaginal sex with someone you don’t have a committed relationship with, it’s advisable to use a dental dam, to avoid STDs. Now, dental dams, are difficult to come by, but you can easily make one yourself, by cutting the tip off a condom, then cutting along the side, so you get a condom sheet. Put that over the vagina when giving oral sex. We hope this helps!
Is it true that regular
Is it true that regular release of sperms can weaken your health?
Hi James,
Hi James,
no, not at all! The body continuously produces sperm, so even if you have lots of sex or masturbate, your body will always keep up with producing sperm.
What benefit is to the woman,
What benefit is to the woman,. Does she discharge or absorb semen.
Hi Justus,
Hi Justus,
unless a woman gets pregnant, there is no use for sperm to a woman’s body, and it will just be discharged.
Thankx for da lesson, one
Thankx for da lesson, one step at a time
You are most welcome, Nadia!
You are most welcome, Nadia! Have a look at the other top five facts articles, as well, we are sure you will find something that is interesting to you, as well!
i like this…thanks
i like this…thanks
You are most welcome, Felix!
You are most welcome, Felix!
Is too much of sperm in the
Is too much of sperm in the body harmful 2 boys?
Hi Kingsley,
Hi Kingsley,
no, it’s not, because generally, the body will get rid off it. If it’s not through sex or masturbation, it will be through wet dreams, for example.
Is too much of sperm in the
Is too much of sperm in the body harmful 2 boys?
hae,is it true that semen
hae,is it true that semen helps the womans body grow,for example the hips and buttocks?
Hi Terry,
Hi Terry,
some say semen makes them more beautiful, like shinier hair. But I don’t think I have ever heard about bigger hips and buttocks.
thankz now a can swallow
thankz now a can swallow “em without any fears
Hi Betsy,
Hi Betsy,
we are glad to hear that we could be of assistance.
they do say sperms stops
they do say sperms stops pimples frm d face when applied to it, it is true
Hm, we honestly don’t know,
Hm, we honestly don’t know, Grace. Why don’t you give it a try?
Tnks, I lyk ur site very well
Tnks, I lyk ur site very well
Thanks so much, Grace!
Thanks so much, Grace!
thanx alot, this site has bin
thanx alot, this site has bin soo helping u deserve a gooood clap,now my quiz is ;it true that wen u mastabate alot at teenage u might b infertile in ua future?
Hi Kenny,
Hi Kenny,
we are so glad to hear you like our page.
And not, masturbation does not cause infertility at any point in time. Check out more masturbation myths here: http://lovematters.co.ke/news/masturbation-myths-busted
thanx alot, this site has bin
thanx alot, this site has bin soo helping u deserve a gooood clap,now my quiz is ;it true that wen u mastabate alot at teenage u might b infertile in ua future?
thankx fr th gud wrk.
thankx fr th gud wrk.
Congrat!!! am followin
Thanks Jonteh!
Thanks Jonteh!
std’s can curse infertility
std’s can curse infertility to a man??
Some of them, absolutely!
Some of them, absolutely!
thk u for this site. hv
thk u for this site. hv learnt much frm it
So glad to hear that, Stella!
So glad to hear that, Stella!
Thanks so much for the…
Thanks so much for the lesson..how about licking the honey pot?and swallowing the fluid?
Hi Rhova, By honey pot you…
Hi Rhova, By honey pot you mean the vagina… This is safe if there no infections involved. Check out this article;- https://lovematters.co.ke/making-love/ways-to-make-love/oral-sex-taste-the-pleasure
Is it true that…
Is it true that marsterbation courses early ejaculation ?
Hi Godfrey, this is not true…
Hi Godfrey, this is not true, it’s a just myth.
I think this is educative
I think this is educative
Thank you for the feedback…
Thank you for the feedback Joe.
I,like thiz site most
I,like thiz site most
We are glad Marian.
We are glad Marian.
Is it abnormal that if a…
Is it abnormal that if a man have sex for one hour non-stop. If so what is the longest drive for Africa men
Hello Benson, it is not…
Hello Benson, it is not abnormal for a man to go for one hour nonstop, it simply means that you have a high sex drive. There is no scientific evidence to back the longest for African men. Here is more information on sex drives and balancing libidos with your partner: https://lovemattersafrica.com/making-love/sex-problems-how-to-overcome-them/libido-differences-matching-sex-drives
I’m happy,and is good to…
I’m happy,and is good to know this
We are glad you like it Zika…
We are glad you like it Zika! Please feel free to go through more of our content and let us know what you think and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out! Have a wonderful week ahead and stay safe!
NYC
NYC
We are glad you like it,…
We are glad you like it, please feel free to go through more of our content and let us know what you think and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out! Have a wonderful week ahead and stay safe!