shelf live for sperm

[keith91303]

how long does it live> i have heard 24-48 hours.
does anyone know

[raytw]

Good Luck

[BC-Maura]

Hi: Do you mean how long do sperm live inside the woman post release? If so, it all depends on the quality of her cm. If it's not at all fertile, the sperm will die almost instantaneously. If it's very fertile, the sperm can live up to 3-5 days (although I think in most cases, it's closer to 3 than 5. It's all a continuum, depending on the cm!

Hope that helps+++++++++++
Maura

[BC-DKNY]

ditto to what maura said.

additionally, if you're using washed sperm (as in the case of IUI) the life expectancy of the sperm once the IUI is completed is much shorter than it's normal duration. 24 hours at best.

[stacy-ann]

I did some search on the web and came up with the following info:

Sperm can live up to 72 hours (and, on occasion, a day or two longer).

Some thoughts to consider:

* Men with a normal sperm count ejaculate around 250 million sperm each time. That's almost enough sperm to repopulate the entire United States.

* Obviously, even though sperm can last 3 days or so, most die off quickly, or are blocked from reaching the egg. It's a long trip up the Fallopian tubes, and most don't make it. The strongest make it, but only 1 of the 250,000,000 original sperm can penetrate the egg.

* With this in mind, it's no wonder 10% of the population suffers from infertility. It can be hard to become pregnant. Since 20-50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage (either right after conception, or later, with cramping and bleeding), it's amazing that anyone actually has a baby.

* The above does not apply if you are 14 and having sex, without protection, for the first time. In this case it seems (tongue in cheek) that the odds of getting and staying pregnant are about 99.9%!



David Ashley Hill, M.D.
Associate Director
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Florida Hospital Family Practice Residency
Orlando, FL
http://home.mpinet.net/dahmd


Take care and good luck!!!