How Long Can Sperm Survive?
Sperm is created by the testicles, which are the two male reproductive glands that create and release sperm. They also emit androgens, or male sex hormones. The process to create sperm in the testicles takes ninety days. The sperm are stored in an organ called the epididymis until they are mature and are able to swim. It is unknown how long sperm can live in the epididymis. However, it appears to be true that sperm is healthiest when they are ejaculated every two or three days.
Sperm ejected into a female vagina can live to fertilize an egg for up to five days. The cervical mucus and hormones within it help the sperm to live longer. In the vagina sperm will only last for about six hours. The vaginal secretions are extremely acidic, and kill the sperm. When ovulation is occurring or about to occur in a woman, the mucus created by the cervix is much more alkaline in nature, and therefore more hospitable to the sperm. The consistency of the cervical mucus, about that of an egg white, will help sperm on their way to the cervix, giving them a higher chance of survival.
Some women are less sexually receptive, and in these women sperm will only survive around three days or less. Some studies have proven that some sperm can survive in the fallopian tubes for up to seven days. However, the overall average time for sperm to survive in a woman is three to four days.
Sperm that is stored in sterile conditions, such as in a container, can live for about four hours. This is true when the sperm is stored in a professional fertility clinic. Some semen can be kept alive for over fifty years thanks to being stored in liquid nitrogen at –196 degrees Celsius. When semen begins to dry, sperm dies, and sperm that are exposed to air lose their motility.
Some women who do not want to have children as of yet use spermicides. These come in the form of a foam or gel. The spermicide blocks the sperm’s access to the cervix, as well as effecting motility. Additionally, the chemicals in the spermicide drastically affect the life span of the sperm. However, this is not a commonly used form of birth control today, because a woman still has a fifteen percent chance of becoming pregnant with this method.
The survival rate of sperm can be affected by other factors as well. These factors include the man’s age, volume, quality, quantity and motility of sperm. It also depends on the woman’s ability to nourish sperm in the cervix.
