The whole lot You Must Know About Semen

Presenting the Big AskMen Information to The whole lot You Must Know About Semen

It’s extremely widespread and a vital ingredient within the creation of virtually each one who’s ever lived. Humanity produces lots of it each single day. But there’s an odd and mysterious high quality to it, and to be frank, most individuals don’t know very a lot about it, even when it’s a standard a part of their day-to-day lives.

What is that this magical whitish, largely liquid substance that folks with penises produce once they ejaculate? You may blow a load of it, or shoot ropes of it. It goes by totally different names — cum, spunk, jizz, child batter, splooge — however the technical time period for it’s “semen.”

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These on the receiving finish of it could possibly really feel every kind of various methods about it. It may be a supply of terror for individuals who don’t need to get pregnant (“Don’t you dare end inside me!”), of pleasure for individuals who do (“Sure! Give me a child!”) and of serious erotic energy for many individuals, no matter whether or not they have a uterus or not (“Oh, yeah, get it throughout me!”).

Those that produce it — whether or not they’re cis males or boys, trans girls or non-binary folks — could glory in seeing how typically or how a lot they’ll produce, or how far they’ll shoot it; or they could fear about its quantity, consistency, odor and style.

It may possibly additionally transmit infections, which may range from gentle to a matter of life and demise. And it could possibly trigger being pregnant — which, along with being a doubtlessly life-changing occasion for each folks concerned, for good or for unwell, can also be a severe medical situation that may, in excessive circumstances, finish the lifetime of the particular person bearing the fetus.

In brief, it may be a supply of unimaginable pleasure and in addition a big contributor to unhappiness. However what’s semen, actually? And what are the fundamental information you must find out about it that you just perhaps weren’t taught in intercourse schooling? AskMen spoke to half a dozen totally different specialists to get the lowdown in your hundreds. Right here’s what they needed to say:

What Is Semen?

“Semen is the fluid expelled out of the penis throughout ejaculation,” says Suzannah Weiss, licensed intercourse educator and resident sexologist for the erotic pleasure platform FrolicMe. “Sometimes, it comprises sperm, in addition to different fluids that assist to nourish and transport the sperm. These fluids come from glands such because the prostate gland and seminal vesicles, whereas the sperm itself is constructed from the testicles.”

“Semen is a creamy, barely yellowish or grayish, mixture of fluids that features sperm and water,” says Joe Kort, Ph.D., LMSW, licensed sexologist, and founder and director of The Heart for Relationship and Sexual Well being in Royal Oak, Michigan. “The sperm in semen are tadpole-like reproductive cells that include half of the genetic info to create human offspring.”

Whereas sperm is a crucial element of semen when it comes to its operate in inflicting being pregnant, these tadpole-shaped cells don’t truly account for a lot of the particular quantity of semen, primarily due to how microscopically small every sperm is.

Even with tens or lots of of hundreds of thousands of sperm cells in a standard ejaculation, sperm accounts for simply “2 to five% of semen,” says Sarah Melancon, Ph.D., the sexuality and relationships knowledgeable for SexToyCollective.com. “Semen additionally consists of varied amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, and fructose.”

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“Total, semen is an important a part of male reproductive well being and fertility,” says Mak Adikami, cofounder of lustyboy.com. “It comprises essential vitamins and hormones that assist regular functioning, and it could possibly include doubtlessly dangerous compounds in small quantities. In the end, it is very important follow protected intercourse and get common medical checkups to make sure that your semen is wholesome and protected.”

The Age When You Begin to Produce Semen

“Individuals with penises start to provide semen roughly across the age of puberty,” says Rohit Walwaikar, MD, a advisor psychiatrist with Allo Well being. “This era varies from individual to individual, relying on numerous elements, akin to genetics, comorbid circumstances, male reproductive hormone ranges, and lastly any anatomical defects within the reproductive system.”

In numerical phrases, the specialists cited on this piece talked about an age vary from 10 to 16 years previous, though the center of that vary, from 13 to 14, appears to be extra widespread.

In case you had been assigned male at delivery, puberty is often the interval whenever you start to provide testosterone, says Adikami, “which is accountable for the event of the male reproductive organs. That is additionally when the testicles begin to produce sperm.”

“It is very important word that though semen manufacturing is linked to puberty,” he provides, “it’s not the identical as having the ability to ejaculate. To ejaculate, an individual must have an orgasm, and that is one thing that may normally happen after an individual reaches a sure degree of sexual arousal.”

Nonetheless, not every part occurs on the similar time or in the identical order for each particular person. As Weiss factors out, “‘dry’ or non-ejaculatory orgasms” can occur earlier than you begin producing semen, and Melancon notes that ejaculations with semen may also happen earlier than you begin producing sperm.

“Additionally it is essential to grasp that whereas semen manufacturing normally begins at puberty, it could possibly take some time to succeed in its full potential,” says Adikami. “The quantity of semen produced can range drastically from individual to individual, and it could possibly take months and even years for the complete potential to be reached.”

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Lastly, Kort notes that for individuals who’ve solely simply began producing it, their semen “could also be just a few drops at first and it’s clear as an alternative of a milky shade,” and provides that “the glands that produce semen are unbiased of different physique programs akin to peak and physique hair.”

That means, in the event you begin “exhibiting indicators of puberty in different areas, it doesn’t essentially imply [you] will begin producing semen on the similar time.”

Whereas males and different folks with penises usually hit their peak when it comes to semen quantity per ejaculation of their 30s, as they proceed to age, they’ll start to provide much less semen, with many of the specialists we spoke to citing the 50s as a degree the place semen manufacturing could dip noticeably.

And whereas they could discover themselves much less fertile — attributable to decreased sperm high quality, fairly than decreased semen quantity — at that age, Weiss factors out that, in the event you produce sperm, it’s nonetheless technically attainable to impregnate somebody it doesn’t matter what age you might be.

“Semen has the flexibility to get somebody pregnant except somebody has undergone a vasectomy (which prevents sperm from getting into the semen) or has handled a well being situation or medical remedy that compromises fertility, akin to radiotherapy or hormone remedy for prostate most cancers,” she explains.

Semen Ingestion Details

Whereas a lot of intercourse includes condoms, and acts like handjobs, mutual masturbation or cellphone intercourse don’t contain semen getting into into one other particular person’s physique, intercourse acts like blowjobs, and unprotected penetrative intercourse, whether or not anal or vaginal, can and do result in one particular person’s semen getting into into one other particular person’s physique.

Whereas this can be the specified end result on the a part of each events concerned, and isn’t essentially trigger for alarm in and of itself, getting semen in another person’s orifice(s) can, in many alternative eventualities, have adverse penalties, so it’s essential to know the potential dangers concerned earlier than you proceed.

Semen and Being pregnant

Maybe most notably, semen performs an essential position in conception, aka getting somebody pregnant. This occurs when somebody with a penis ejaculates contained in the vagina of somebody with a uterus, mostly with a cis man and cis lady.

In these circumstances, the sperm cells in your semen — aka the two to five% of it by quantity — ”should journey by means of the cervix and uterus after which should discover the egg in an effort to fertilize it, and create a being pregnant,” Adikami says.

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If an individual with a uterus — this might be a cis lady or woman, but it surely is also a trans man or a non-binary one who was assigned feminine at delivery — is ovulating “and semen is launched into the vagina, then it’s attainable to trigger being pregnant,” says Melancon. “Being pregnant is a possible danger 5 days earlier than and 5 days after ovulation, termed the ‘fertile window.’

Whereas Melancon, notes that semen “can not trigger being pregnant when a feminine is outdoors of her fertile window,” she additionally factors out that “sperm can reside contained in the vagina for as much as 5 days” — in addition to the truth that folks with uteruses don’t simply magically know once they’re ovulating: “A feminine companion must observe her cycle to know her fertile window; in any other case, all the time assume being pregnant is a danger, and have interaction in safer intercourse practices.”

Kort provides that, in uncommon circumstances, “semen may cause being pregnant even when the lady doesn’t have intercourse,” says Kort.

Participating in oral, guide or anal intercourse, in the event you’re not cautious, can result in hint quantities of semen getting into into the vagina, which may result in a sperm cell finally reaching an egg and fertilizing it. That’s why, in the event you or your companion(s) aren’t concerned about conceiving a baby, you must use condoms or different contraception strategies.

Semen and Sexually Transmitted Infections

Whether or not your sexual companion has a uterus or is ovulating or not, semen may also carry with it extra than simply pregnancy-causing spermatozoa — it could possibly additionally carry with it sexually transmitted infections.

“STIs (sexually transmitted infections) are infections by which a micro organism or virus is current in bodily fluids, together with semen,” says Kort. “If this occurs, the STI could be handed to a companion.”

“In relation to STIs, transmission can happen by means of any kind of unprotected sexual contact,” says Adikami. “Which means that if an individual engages in sexual exercise with somebody who has an STI, they’ll contract it by means of direct contact with the contaminated particular person’s bodily fluids, together with semen.”

“Semen can carry a wide range of STIs, akin to HIV, herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. HIV is transmitted when an contaminated particular person’s bodily fluids, together with semen, come into contact with the mucous membranes of one other particular person.”

Nonetheless, not all STIs are transmitted by means of semen — herpes and HPV, as an example, “are transmitted by means of skin-to-skin contact,” Weiss notes, which means there could be transmission even with out an ejaculation. As such, carrying a condom stays a finest follow for safeguarding your self and others from STIs.

Not all STIs are severe issues. Kort provides that gonorrhea and chlamydia are “treatable instantly with antibiotics which might be simply out there, cheap and efficient.” However getting them — and passing them on to a number of companions — isn’t enjoyable for anybody, so taking measures to stop that transmission is a good suggestion.

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Semen Ingestion Security

“With a stellar sexual well being standing upon prior testing, ingesting semen is a protected follow,” says Christine Kingsley, well being and wellness director of the Lung Institute. “Swallowing ejaculate is not any higher or worse than ingesting one other particular person’s sweat. It is a type of excretion that the physique creates as a byproduct of all of the features of its programs.”

“If there are not any STIs current, then it’s usually protected to ingest semen,” Melancon agrees. “There are two extraordinarily uncommon circumstances the place ingesting semen can be harmful: In case you ate a meals to which your companion is severely allergic a number of hours earlier than intercourse, it is extremely uncommon however attainable to your semen to include proteins of that meals, and result in an allergic response. Allergy symptoms to semen itself are additionally attainable, although uncommon.”

“In case you are allergic to semen, you’ll discover signs akin to itching, burning, and ache wherever the semen made contact round half an hour later,” says Weiss. “If so, you must keep away from direct contact with semen through the use of condoms.”

Moreover, semen itself could be an indicator of whether or not it’s protected to devour, says Kort: “If the semen has a foul odor or will not be the conventional whitish to grayish shade, your companion may have an an infection or well being drawback. Crimson-colored semen can imply irritation of the glands that produce it. Yellow or inexperienced semen could be attributable to an an infection, medicine or nutritional vitamins.”

In case you’re not allergic to it, and your companion doesn’t have any communicable ailments, ingesting semen “could even have some advantages,” although, Weiss says: “Analysis has linked semen publicity with lowered danger of melancholy and preeclampsia, although these research checked out semen publicity through intercourse, not oral intercourse. Semen additionally comprises nutritional vitamins akin to zinc in addition to hormones akin to melatonin (which helps you sleep).”

Nonetheless, “It could take gallons of semen to truly ship a considerable quantity that may positively enhance one’s immunity or total well being,” says Kingsley. And, as you’ll see on this subsequent part, gallons of semen could be laborious to come back by.

Semen Quantity

In case you’ve ever spent any time in a kitchen, chances are you’ll be aware of the teaspoon as a unit of measurement — it’s one of the vital generally used ones in lots of recipes. It’s additionally roughly how a lot semen the common ejaculation comprises, at the very least on the higher vary.

That’s proper — not a tablespoon (15 ml), a easy teaspoon (5 ml). Whereas porn actors could have you ever pondering in any other case, the info reveals {that a} mere 2 to five ml of liquid is the usual vary for semen quantity.

That being stated, it’s attainable to ejaculate roughly than that at any given second relying on a handful of things.

“In keeping with the World Well being Group,” Adikami says, “the common quantity of semen produced in a single ejaculation is [between] 1.5 and seven.6 ml. Nonetheless, the precise quantity of semen produced in a single ejaculation can range from as little as 0.2 ml as much as 10 ml or extra.”

So what are these elements? As mentioned earlier, age could be a important one.

“Typically talking, youthful males have a tendency to provide extra semen than older males, as younger males usually have greater ranges of testosterone and different hormones that stimulate the manufacturing of semen,” says Adikami, who additionally mentions “alcohol and drug use, smoking and sure medicines” as attainable elements.

Nonetheless, whether or not you’re ejaculating lower than a milliliter or over 10 occasions that a lot, it’s doubtless not a lot to be nervous about both manner.

“The one time that semen quantity turns into a priority is whenever you ejaculate after some time of no intercourse or masturbation, and the semen produced is watery,” says Kingsley. “Regular, wholesome semen ought to have a consistency much like a uncooked egg or a runny jelly. Holding out for a few weeks will improve the semen content material within the ejaculate and, subsequently, make it extra volumized and barely thicker.”

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Growing Semen Quantity

In case you are questioning about growing the amount of your semen, the very first thing you must know is that it’s not both essential or essential with regards to your fertility.

“Males normally affiliate semen quantity with fertility and masculinity,” says Kort, however he notes that there’s not a scientific hyperlink to this affiliation.

“There isn’t any recognized well being or fertility profit from taking pictures extra semen,” he provides. “Sadly, pornography depicts a special, unfaithful image about semen quantity.”

It’s additionally not going that producing extra semen will make a big distinction to your companion. Whereas some folks could get very aroused by seeing a person shoot “massive hundreds,” the absence thereof isn’t a typical criticism from individuals who date males.

In the end, we’re all sure by pure constraints right here.

“Regular semen quantity is about 2 ml to five ml per ejaculate,” says Kort. “It doesn’t and may’t range a lot from this. Many merchandise available on the market will declare to extend semen quantity, however be very cautious. These don’t work.”

Weiss agrees that there “is not a lot proof behind” these dietary supplements, noting that “the easiest way to extend your semen quantity is to go a time frame with out ejaculating, so that there’s extra out there.”

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Nonetheless, even in the event you can’t improve your semen manufacturing radically above the usual vary of a few teaspoon, abstaining from ejaculating for a time frame isn’t the one factor you are able to do to positively impression your semen quantity.

“First, you must ensure you’re getting sufficient vitamins,” says Adikami. “Consuming a nutritious diet stuffed with fruits, greens, and proteins may help improve semen quantity. A wholesome libido can also be essential, so ensure you’re getting sufficient sleep and avoiding extreme stress.”

“You also needs to attempt to train usually,” he provides. “Train will increase blood movement to the penis, which may help improve semen quantity. Moreover, train may help scale back stress ranges and improve testosterone ranges, each of which may have a optimistic impact on semen quantity.”

There’s additionally the query of your relationship to addictive substances like nicotine and alcohol. Smoking and ingesting, Adikami notes, can negatively impression your fertility, and your semen quantity, too.

On the dietary facet of issues, Melancon notes that “ashwagandha and zinc could assist,” and Walwaikar mentions “amino acids, most notably d-aspartate” as doubtlessly working in your favor.

Lastly, Kort factors out that, as famous earlier, quantity will increase and reduces over time: “Peak quantity is produced between the ages of 30 to 35, and lowest quantity is skilled when males attain 50 to 55 and older.”

Semen Style and Odor

So what does semen style and odor like? It may be a difficult query to reply.

“Like all different bodily fluids, the ejaculate’s style and odor range relying on one’s bodily state,” says Kingsley. “As a result of what’s excreted out of the physique, be it ejaculate, sweat, or odor, displays the chemical reactions that happen inside our system, their style, odor, and consistency majorly rely upon sure meals, medicines, drinks which might be consumed, and even the general state of 1’s well being.”

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Let’s begin with its style. Whereas Weiss describes it as having “a bleach-like, chlorine-like, or salty style,” and Adikami calls it “salty, barely candy,” Kingsley factors out that “totally different folks can register totally different tastes in numerous methods, so some could expertise semen to be tasteless whereas others could expertise it to be bitter.”

“On the whole,” says Kort, “it could possibly style barely salty, generally barely bitter, generally a little bit candy and generally a little bit coppery.” Melancon, for her half, notes its “distinct taste that’s troublesome to explain.”

Acquired that? In the end, the reality is that it varies from individual to individual, each when it comes to the particular person producing the semen and the particular person tasting it, and that how every particular person’s semen tastes could change over time based mostly on a wide range of elements.

(Actually, Kort notes, “the thickness of semen will change the way it tastes. Whether it is thick and creamy, its style could also be extra intense, and whether it is skinny and runny, will probably be simpler to swallow and fewer intense in style.”)

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So what concerning the odor? Whereas Melancon says it shouldn’t odor particularly sturdy, it should nonetheless emit a slight odor, and Kingsley and Adikami each point out its doubtlessly smelling considerably like chlorine.

Nonetheless, Melancon notes, if it carries a “significantly foul style or odor,” it might be an indication of an infection.

Altering Semen Style

In case you get pleasure from receiving oral intercourse, it’s not a foul thought to consider the style of your personal semen, significantly in the event you’re hoping that your companion(s) will swallow your ejaculate.

Whereas style and odor, like quantity, are likely to solely exist inside a sure vary — you’re by no means going to have the ability to make your cum style like vanilla ice cream, sadly — it’s attainable to shift them inside that vary.

Whereas engaged on making your cum style higher is actually a noble aim, Melancon factors out that there isn’t any laborious scientific analysis on semen style — however there’s a usually accepted group of issues that may affect its style. As with quantity, it has quite a bit to do with what you eat and drink.

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“Consuming meals like pineapples, celery, and melon could make the style of semen sweeter, whereas pink meat and dairy merchandise could make it extra savory,” Adikami notes. “Then again, sure medicines, akin to antibiotics and antidepressants, in addition to leisure medication, may also have an effect on the style.”

“Fruit normally could trigger semen to style sweeter, whereas drinks like espresso and alcohol may give it a extra bitter style when consumed in giant portions,” Weiss provides.

Kingsley highlights “citrusy and candy meals like pineapple and oranges,” whereas Kort mentions lemon, cranberries, wheatgrass and peppermint — and each point out cinnamon.

Food regimen, in fact, Adikami notes, isn’t the one manner to enhance issues — you too can drink “loads of water,” which he says “helps to flush out toxins from the physique.”

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On the flip facet, the specialists cite issues like smoking doing medication, ingesting alcohol and caffeine, consuming sweet and salty, fatty quick meals, garlic and onions, meat and dairy, and high-sulfur cruciferous meals like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage as issues that may negatively impression your semen’s style.

Both manner, Kort notes, “adjustments in consuming habits won’t change the style of your semen instantly. It’d take just a few weeks.”

So in the event you’ve bought a sizzling first date developing, it might already be too late to make a lot of a distinction — but it surely’s not too late to have a optimistic impression for a second or third date a short time later.

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