How Long Does Sperm Live In The Body (And Why)?

Exact Answer: Five Days

The most important part of the growth of the human race has been the sperms. Sperm is also known as Spermatozoon or Spermatazoa. They are the reproductive cells that are present in the body of a male. It is the core reason why a female gets pregnant.

Pregnancy in a woman is only possible when a sperm successfully reaches the egg in the ovaries of a female body. However, all the processes are possible only when the sperm can survive enough to reach the eggs. The time for which the sperms can stay alive in the body can range from hours to days.

How Long Does Sperm Live In The Body?

After the intercourse, when a man ejaculates, millions of sperms are released. Not every sperm can survive and reach the destination that is the eggs. A lot of the sperms are pushed right out of the vagina. Once the sperms are out of the body they dry up and die.

However, the sperms that are in the body travel towards the eggs, and have to travel through several things like the fallopian tube, the cervical mucus. The condition inside the vagina is apt for the sperms to live as it is warm and wet. Hence, the sperms can live inside the body for about five days.

Although, not all the sperms that entered the woman’s body will be alive for all five days. Out of all the sperms, many sperms die over time. Some sperms die within hours, while some die within a couple of days. It is because of the conditions that are present in the different areas of the vagina.

There are very rare cases where the sperm can be alive for more than five days in the female body after intercourse.

Why Does The Sperm Live In The Body For That Long?

Sperms are released into the female’s vagina to reproduce. The sperm is supposed to travel and reach the egg to fertilize it. However, not necessarily all the sperms will be able to reach the egg. Some of the sperm die on the way to reach the egg. They either die in the fallopian tube, the cervix, or the uterus.

There are a few reasons why the sperms can live even for five days in the body after intercourse. A few of the reasons are as follows:

• The primary reason why a few sperms can live for so long in the body is the favorable conditions that are present. Sperms are known to thrive in warm temperatures. As the vagina has the highest temperature compared to any other part of the body, it tends to be a good place for the sustainability of the perms.
• The vagina is wet and moist on the inside. The wetness of the vagina promotes a good place for the sperms to stay alive.
• Cervical mucus or cervical fluid is also one of the imminent factors. The vagina of women is acidic and can cause the sperm cells to die if the cervical mucus or cervical fluid is absent. Sperms are suspended in the cervical mucus itself.
• If the cervical mucus is thick, it can help more sperms to be safe from the acidic vaginal walls.
• Sperms also tend to stay in the body so long to complete the long journey to reach the eggs. The sperm does not directly swim up to the eggs. During the journey, the sperm can attach itself to the oviduct epithelial cells that are present in the fallopian tube, or can even stay in the crypts until the time for fertilization.
• The age of the male can also be a determining factor as the sperms of an old male tend to become weak and hence is not able to survive that long.

Conclusion

It also depends on the kind of sperms that are released from the penis as to how long it will stay in the body. Some sperms have strong structures and compositions. Such strong sperms tend to live for five days or more.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534715000658
2. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/494680