8 myths you lot should stop believing about sperm

sperm microscope

Microscopic view of sperm.
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  • Lots of common myths about sperm and ejaculation isn't actually true.
  • From the corporeality of ejaculation to sperm quality, there is a lot of data that people become wrong.

Update: A previous version of this article independent quotes from an practiced whose credentials are now in question. We accept reached out to him for confirmation of those credentials and have not heard back. You tin can read Gizmodo's investigation here, and his response hither. INSIDER has updated this article every bit of 3/1/19.

Most people with penises produce betwixt 39 million to 929 one thousand thousand sperm per ejaculation, co-ordinate to the Globe Health Arrangement. But how much do you actually know nigh sperm?

We debunked some common myths about sperm that you probably still believe.

MYTH: You lot tin can't get pregnant from pre-ejaculate or "pre-cum."

Pre-ejaculate can contain sperm.
Stefan Malloch/Shutterstock

Most of the time, pre-ejaculate – the semen-similar fluid that sometimes comes out of a penis before ejaculation – is just a lubricating substance produced past the prostate. Withal, there is a small-scale chance that information technology might contain enough feasible sperm to result in a pregnancy, according to Healthline.

If you're concerned with avoiding pregnancy, using a barrier method like a condom is always a good idea.

MYTH: Semen has a loftier nutritional content if swallowed.

Semen has fructose just you won't get any nutritional benefits.
Shutterstock/Image Point Fr

Deplorable – semen isn't a proficient replacement for your daily multivitamin.

Though a healthy diet has been shown to improve semen quality , consuming semen itself won't take much of an impact on your diet.

MYTH: Sperm tin alive for days on items like sheets, towels, and underwear.

Sperm can live inside the body for five days, but tin't survive outside the torso.
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Sperm can't unremarkably alive on article of clothing, pare, and other surfaces for longer than a few moments. When semen dries or is exposed to extreme temperatures, the power for the sperm in that semen to fertilize an egg diminishes significantly.

However, sperm can alive inside the uterus for upwards to v days . This is why it'southward technically possible to get significant as a issue of unprotected sex during menstruation.

MYTH: Sperm quality stays the same for a person's entire life.

Sperm quality changes every bit y'all age.
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It's truthful that people with male reproductive organs can usually keep having children every bit long as they are able to produce sperm. Even so, that doesn't mean that the quality of that sperm won't change over the years.

This ways that the quality of sperm tends to subtract with age. There is as well some evidence that the risk of miscarriage may increase with paternal age.

MYTH: The foods y'all swallow don't affect your semen.

Eating salubrious can help y'all sperm.
Flickr/Sonny Abesamis

Maintaining a healthy nutrition is great for your overall health, but eating well may also assist keep your sperm in good shape. The Mayo Clinic noted that a good for you diet tin can exist i of the most of import factors in making sure your sperm is feasible.

MYTH: How much semen someone produces is the virtually important part of fertility.

The amount of semen doesn't dictate fertility levels.
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When it comes to getting someone significant, the amount of semen isn't the only important gene. According to the Mayo Dispensary, it matters how mobile your sperm is and what their structure is.

This ways that as long as ejaculate has enough high-quality sperm, information technology will more often than not exist able to fertilize an egg no thing the volume of the semen itself.

MYTH: Tight pants and underwear don't actually have much of an outcome on sperm.

Underwear and jeans can effect sperm count.
nickpo/ iStock

Tight garments exercise actually have a measurable outcome on fertility. Sperm cells require a precise temperature remainder to remain viable. Clothing or underwear that constricts the testicles and holds them close to the trunk actually raises their internal temperature, decreasing the quality and number of the sperm within.

MYTH: All sperm basically behaves the same style.

Not all sperm is created equal.
Bobjgalindo / Wikimedia Commons

A person's sperm is as individual every bit they are. Likewise carrying unique genetic information, sperm can actually act differently from person to person.

Keeping fit and costless of a affliction tin can ensure your sperm behaves in a manner that increases the chances of successful conception and healthy offspring.

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