Many people know that sperm and egg must come together to make a baby. However, most are not aware of how long sperm can survive inside the female body, and what factors can affect this.
Understanding the sperm life span can be important for couples trying to conceive. It also highlights the importance of having sexual activity around the time of ovulation.
How Long Can Sperm Live in the Vagina?
Depending on the conditions, healthy sperm can survive anywhere from a few hours to five days in a woman’s vagina. The sperm’s lifespan inside the female reproductive tract is dependent on several factors, including cervical mucus, pH levels and more.
During the fertile window, which is the two days leading up to and during ovulation, a woman’s cervix produces more egg-white cervical mucus that serves as an ideal environment for sperm to survive in. The lubricating mucus helps the sperm reach the fallopian tubes, where they can fertilize an egg.
The lubricating nature of the cervical mucus and its ability to facilitate sperm movement are some of the reasons why pregnancy can be so difficult to achieve in men who have ejaculated semen directly into their woman’s vagina. However, even if a man’s semen makes it into the woman’s vagina, the chance of her becoming pregnant is still very low.
Sperm can only survive in a humid environment for a short amount of time outside the body, and even then, they won’t last more than a few minutes. As a result, getting pregnant after a man ejaculates in a hot tub or warm bath is almost impossible. In this situation, sperm is no longer protected by the lubricating semen that nourishes them and protects their surface, and they are left to face a dry environment with few resources to help them survive.
How Long Can Sperm Live in the Uterus?
Sperm can live for a few days after being ejaculated, but that depends on the quality and environment of the sperm cells. Outside of the body, sperm are extremely vulnerable and typically die within minutes after being exposed to air and dry surfaces. In a hot tub, for instance, they can survive a few seconds, but once the semen becomes wet again, it no longer fertilizes an egg.
Inside a woman’s body, however, healthy sperm can live up to five days. This is thanks to a special kind of cervical mucus that creates an ideal environment for sperm survival. During the fertile window of a woman’s menstrual cycle, this sperm-friendly mucus is abundant, shielding sperm and making it easier for them to reach their destination—an egg cell in the fallopian tubes.
Once sperm have reached the fallopian tubes, they must then make it to the uterus. It’s during this journey that most pregnancies occur, but only if the sperm can get past the cervix and into the uterus to fertilize an egg cell.
The best way to increase the chances of pregnancy is to have sex during the fertile window—the few days leading up to and including ovulation. This guide to understanding how long sperm can live will help you time your sexual activities to maximize your chances of conception.
How Long Can Sperm Live in the Fallopian Tubes?
Sperm can live up to five days inside a woman’s reproductive tract, but that’s only if they’re in the right conditions. That means they need to enter the body through egg-white cervical mucus and reach the fallopian tubes, where they can wait for an egg to be released from the ovaries.
During sexual activity, millions of sperm mix with seminal fluid to create semen. Those sperm then travel down the vas deferens and into the woman’s reproductive tract. But the trip isn’t easy: Despite the sperm’s best efforts, only about 1% make it all the way to the uterus, where they can fertilize an egg and cause pregnancy.
Once sperm is outside the body, their life span becomes very short. Sperm that land on dry surfaces like clothing, bed linens, or toilet seats lose their motility quickly and die within less than an hour.
If sperm are exposed to steamy water, like in a hot tub or warm bath, their survival rate is even lower. That’s because sperm can’t swim that far in a bath or jacuzzi, and they’re also not protected by the fluid of the cervix or the semen that holds them together. That’s why it’s important to have sex during the fertile window around ovulation, which is when your partner is most likely to be carrying sperm that can survive.
How Long Can Sperm Live in the Cervical Mucus?
Sperm can live up to five days inside the female reproductive tract, if they haven’t been ejaculated. That’s why it’s important to get intimate during the fertile window, around ovulation. During this time, the cervix’s mucus barrier thins and provides a warm, sperm-friendly environment.
The consistency of cervical mucus also impacts sperm survival rates. When a woman is ovulating, the mucus changes from opaque to clear. This offers a protective hosting environment for sperm while still allowing them to move freely. Additionally, the cervical crypts offer storage areas for sperm.
This makes the ovulation cycle ideal for conception, as it can give sperm more time to reach the egg and fertilize it. Of course, there’s always the risk that sperm will dry out before reaching the uterus. In that case, they’ll die.
Sperm can survive outside of the body for only a few minutes, depending on environmental conditions. They’ll die more quickly in hot environments, like a jacuzzi or bath. That’s because they’ll be exposed to water that is much higher in temperature than their natural body fluids. In addition, a bath or jacuzzi contains chemicals and steam that can damage sperm. The good news is that if sperm is frozen under the right conditions, it can potentially live indefinitely.
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