We’ve all heard the rumors about sperm – pineapples, hot water, allergic ladies. But what is the truth? We met with experts and clarified the facts.
It’s fast and furious from the start
Get this: The first moment of ejaculation contains the highest concentration of sperm, says urologist Harry Fish, MD, clinical professor of reproductive medicine at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College.
It sticks around longer than you think
Sperm usually stay in your body for 48 hours after sex, but depending on how “friendly” your cervical mucus is, “it can last anywhere from five days to a week,” says Fish. Interestingly, cervical mucus protects sperm and helps them stay in the body longer when you ovulate when you’re fertile.
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More sex or masturbation does not lower a man’s sperm count
Carrie Wambach, a reproductive endocrinologist at the Fertility Center of Southern California in Los Angeles, says don’t worry that she has a limited pool of swimmers to use. That said, frequent ejaculations can reduce volume, but if the sperm count is normal, it won’t have much of an effect, he says.
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His sperm count may be lowered by the temperature.
The seasons appear to have an impact on his semen. According to Fish, “sperm counts are highest in the winter and lowest in the summer because exposure to heat lowers sperm counts.” Something as harmless as your partner lounging in a hot tub or him carrying a laptop on his lap might cause overheating. “Sperm counts can drop dramatically in hot tubs at 104 degrees or higher,” Fish says. In fact, with prolonged exposure to high temperatures, this decline may continue for several months. “I tell my patients, if you’re trying to have a baby, don’t take a hot bath.” Of course, taking a bath does not guarantee that you will not become pregnant again.It isn’t