How Long Does Sperm Survive? What You Need to Know
How long does sperm survive? You are probably wondering if you want to use natural contraception or have a desire to have children. You should know that about it.
How long does sperm survive in the female body?
How long the sperm survive depends on the quality of the sperm on the one hand and on the phase of the woman’s cycle on the other. Under certain circumstances, the sperm cells can survive for up to five days in the woman’s body.
Infertile days
The cervix is the connection between the vagina and the uterus. The cervix secretes cervical mucus, which is tough and sticky and creates an acidic environment. This plug of mucus practically closes the cervix. This creates unfavourable conditions for spermatozoa, which cannot enter the uterus and die faster due to the acidic environment.
Fertile days
But before ovulation, the cervical mucus changes, becomes liquid, takes over a protective role for the sperm in the acidic environment and helps them to move forward more easily. In this environment the sperm can survive for up to five days.
How long does sperm live outside the body
In order for sperm to live, they need the ideal conditions, such as the perfect temperature, the right pH value and the right ambient humidity. These ideal conditions are not present in the air, so survival time there is only a few minutes. The same is true for sperm in water, where the temperature is unlikely to be optimal. In hot bath water the sperm die within a few seconds, as they are not able to move around here.
Sperm in a condom
The condom protects the sperm from drying out, so sperm have a life span of several hours there. However, there are also condoms that are coated with a killing substance.
How long does sperm live on the hand?
The sperm can live on the hand for several minutes if they are not wiped away. If they are wiped, the sperm lose the protective seminal fluid. But: If this does not happen and the sperm reaches the vagina via the hand or fingers, pregnancy is possible.
The female cycle: When is ovulation?
The female cycle varies in length from woman to woman, but usually lasts between 28 and 32 days. The monthly cycle is the time from the first day of your period to the first day of the next period. Precisely because of the differences in the phases, it is difficult to determine ovulation exactly. The fertile days lie approximately in the middle of your cycle and last for about five to six days. There is a high probability that the fertile days lie between the 9th and 16th day of a 28-day cycle – but there is no guarantee. For women with an irregular cycle this is even more difficult to assess.
Desire to have children: You should know that
If you want to get pregnant, it is important to catch the time of ovulation – easier said than done. Because ovulation only occurs once a month, when the mature egg is released from the ovary into the fallopian tube and moves into the womb. The probability of pregnancy is highest two days before and on the day of ovulation. This is because the egg can still be fertilised for twelve to 24 hours.