When planning a pregnancy, it is extremely important to know and understand that the life span of spermatozoa is an important indicator. It is known that the egg after ovulation lives only 24 hours. But the time of life of the sperm is estimated to be 2-7 days.
How much a sperm lives is one of the criteria for fertilizing the sperm. And this parameter can be learned through the spermogram. According to the standards of the World Health Organization, 50% of spermatozoa should be alive and sufficiently mobile.
Sperm life and temperature
If a man works in harmful production, for example, in a hot shop, the viability of his spermatozoa may be reduced. The acceptable temperature for sperm life is up to 37 degrees Celsius. At a temperature exceeding this figure, the spermatozoa die. Conclusion: if you want to soon become a father - do not abuse baths, saunas, and you should pay attention to working conditions.
Low temperature also affects the viability of spermatozoa. Lowering the temperature to + 4 ° C and lower leads to immobility of spermatozoa and to their inability to conceive. However, even at negative temperatures, "tadpoles" retain their viability. This fact makes it possible to freeze male biological fluid and form a sperm bank. You can store frozen semen for an unlimited amount of time. After its defrosting, sperm can be used in infertility treatment programs using existing methods of reproductive technology.
Sperm Life and the Environment
It's a natural question - how many sperm live in the vagina and in the uterus? After all, it depends on it, when to plan a sexual act for conception. There is no single answer to this question. In many respects it depends on the quality of the sperm and the inner environment of the vagina and uterus. As you know, in the genital tract a woman has a slightly acidic environment, and spermatozoa have a slightly alkaline environment. Accordingly, the environment in the vagina somewhat limits the viability of the sperm. Some of the spermatozoa die, but some remain active and continue to move towards the cherished goal - the egg.
If a woman has an inflammatory disease in the urogenital system, the environment in her vagina is more acidic, and therefore the life span of spermatozoa shortens.
The period of life of spermatozoa can decrease and from contact with various chemical substances. Therefore, for example, in a condom spermatozoa can live very short.
And if the life of the sperm in the vagina is relatively long (several days), then in the air the spermatozoa live only a few hours. But they live after all! Therefore, you should be careful and take this into account if you do not plan a child. Repeated intercourse without a preliminary hygiene procedure for a man can lead to the fact that surviving on the penis spermatozoon penetrate into the vagina and fertilize the same egg.
How to prolong the life of sperm?
The life span of spermatozoa is quite individual and depends on many factors. One of the positively influencing factors is the concentration of fructose. If the sperm is rich in fructose, the life of spermatozoa lengthens, and vice versa. This is explained by the fact that fructose is a source of energy for spermatozoa.
With this, apparently, are related tips for conceiving a girl: if you want a female child, a man before sexual intercourse should eat more sweet food and fruit. As is known, spermatozoa with a female chromosome set are more viable, although not very mobile. The use of fructose further prolongs their life, and they calmly wait for the release of the egg.