How long can sperm survive outside the body?

As we all know, men's sperm and women's eggs are said to have a certain survival time. Only when the sperm and egg in a living state successfully combine can a fertilized egg be formed. This is a necessary condition for a woman to successfully become pregnant. As for how long the sperm ejaculated by a man can survive, it will be affected by many factors, such as the temperature of the sperm. The following introduces this knowledge.

How long can sperm survive outside the body?

Sperm is produced in the testicles and takes about 10 weeks to mature. Mature sperm are stored in the epididymis. Sperm is the smallest cell in the body and requires a balanced supply of energy. A normal adult male can produce 70 to 150 million sperm per day. There are approximately 3 million sperm at the tip of an erect penis.

The survival time of sperm in vitro actually varies from person to person and is also related to the external environment. Sperm can survive in semen after ejaculation for about 24 hours, and if the temperature is lowered, semen can be stored for several weeks. The following is the survival time of sperm in different environments:

(1) Survival time of active sperm in 37°C environment: more than 4 to 8 hours;

(2) Survival time of active sperm in the vagina: 0.5 days;

(3) Survival time of active sperm in the cervix: 2 to 8 days;

(4) Survival time of active sperm in the uterus and fallopian tube: 2 to 2.5 days.

(5) If the temperature is lowered, sperm can survive for several weeks; if frozen with liquid nitrogen, sperm can survive longer and can even be stored for a long time.

How long can sperm survive in a woman's body?

Generally speaking, sperm can only survive in the female vagina for no more than 8 hours. Then only a small fraction of the sperm will escape and continue on their way. This is because when a man ejaculates, the sperm in the semen can be protected by a large amount of fructose and enzymes that break down sugar in the semen. However, when the sperm enters the uterine cavity, it leaves the semen. The living conditions at this time are far worse than those in the semen, so its lifespan is greatly shortened. Poor quality sperm moves slowly and cannot reach the uterine cavity quickly, thus losing its vitality.

After sperm enters the female body, how long can the sperm survive in the female body? Experts say: After sperm pass through so many checkpoints, only a few sperm can finally reach the fertilization site in the fallopian tube. However, as long as the sperm enters the fallopian tube, it has a strong fertilization ability. Of course, in the end only 1 to 2 sperms are lucky enough to combine with the egg, and the rest of the sperms will die within 24 to 36 hours. Only the sperm stored in the crypts of the cervical mucosa can live up to 2 to 6 days. Even so, its fertilization ability has been basically lost because the fertilization ability of sperm can only last for about 20 hours.

Although sperm ejaculated into the female reproductive tract can survive for up to 4 to 5 days, its strong fertilization ability lasts only 1 to 2 days. That is to say, conception is only possible if sexual intercourse occurs within 1 to 2 days before or after a woman's ovulation.