How Long does sperm live? Contrasting Views!!!!

Julia

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I have read that sperm can live up to 5 - 7 days....then again I have heard just 48 hours...we bd on my first day of LH surge...if I ovulated 48 hours later would the sperm still be alive?
 
According to the 'Taking Control of your Fertility' book mentioned on the other thread(s), it can survive for up to 5 days.
Lucyx
 
When I was in college I took a couple of classes that discussed this (I have a degree in biology). I believe that boy sperm swim slower and live longer and girl sperm swim faster and die sooner. But that all together 72 hours is their lifespan. I don't have any hard eveidence to prove it, but that is what I remember from Genetics and Embryology class.


BABY DUST STORM!!!!!!!!!
 
Thanks all! So shall we say between 3 - 5 days? That's okay then...hope they can swim now!!!
 
Julia

If you BD on the day of your LH surge you should be fine. It's on that day and the next one that you're most fertile. I believe after the LH surge ovulation will take place in 12-36 hours. I think this span is because you can't really know if the darker line indicates the peak of the surge, if you're catching it on the way up or on the way down. Does this help?

Moonpiesb,

I have read your posts and I'm so sorry last time didn't work out for you.
Not that it matters much since what most ladies want is a healthy baby no matter what the gender is but it's boy sperm that swim faster and die sooner and girl sperm that swim slower and live longer.
I'm pretty sure this is what you meant anyway

Take care

Will you give it another try this month? Good luck if you do so

xxxx
 
Wondering, thanks for you kind words. I will try again, but not this month. I am due to O next Monday, and it is a holiday here so my dr's office will be closed....JUST MY LUCK. So, I guess I will have to wait till next month.

You are right...I really don't care if it comes out as a boy or a girl....Heck, at this point I don't care if it comes out pink and purple polka dotted. I am just ready to be someone's mommy. But I did mean it the way I posted it. Like I said in my post I don't have any hard evidence, but I did think it was the little boy sperm that lived longer. That is just what I remember from Genetics and Embryology class.....but my memory could have failed me.
 
According to Toni Weschler in her fertility book, Sperm can live up to five days when swimming around in a womans fertile cervical fluid, but if no cervical fluid is present, the sperm will die off in a few hours.

I am no expert of course, this is just what I read.
 
I did some research and Wondering you were right. Please check out the website www.mobilization2-21.com/sexdter.htm Heck at this point in the day (it is 2:55 a.m.) and I am at work (sixth night of 12 hour graveyard) maybe that is what I meant....lol

BABY DUST STORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Sarah W Baby Belly said:
According to Toni Weschler in her fertility book, Sperm can live up to five days when swimming around in a womans fertile cervical fluid, but if no cervical fluid is present, the sperm will die off in a few hours.

This may be a silly question, but why would there be no fertile cervical fluid present? And why do they only live for a few days before dying?
 
Hi again Gary,

What this refers to is the fact that fertile cervical fluid is only present in the woman's body for a few days per month, ie, during her fertile days. Therefore, what Toni Weschler is saying is that if sperm have entered a woman's body at a time when she is not fertile (ie, is not producing any fertile cervical fluid) then the sperm will die after a few hours. On the contrary, if they entered when she was fertile, the woman would almost certainly have fertile cervical fluid present and the sperm would live longer, ie, for a few days as opposed to a few hours. On a related note, a woman gets other kinds of cervical fluid at various stages during her cycle, but none of these are of the fertile type.

I'm afraid I don't know in detail the answer as to why sperm die anyway after a few days - anybody else have any ideas?

Best wishes,
Laura B
 
Hello.
I am sorry if I am a little repetive or not helping much but heres what I have to say anyway. :D

Sperm can live anywhere from a couple seconds to 7 days (MAX) depending upon the enviorment. Usually with fertile cervical muccus (egg white and stretchy) the sperm last for around 3 days. Give or take dependiing upon the quality of the sperm and the womans body. So I would suggest bding every other day around teh time that you would ovulate unless you cannot for optimum conception chances.
Good luck on your journey.
Amanda
 
Google is your friend. From http://www.ovulation-calculator.com/pre-seed.htm
The optimum pH value for sperm migration and survival in the cervical mucus is between 7.0 and 8.5 (World Health Organization guidelines). Sperm are very sensitive to low (acidic) pH and, to a lesser extent, elevated (alkaline) pH. Below pH levels of 6.9, sperm die at a rate that increases with lowering pH. Sperm are also sensitive to both high and low osmolarities (ion concentration in solution) because these can cause them to either shrink or swell beyond their "critical volume limits". A physiologic osmolarity* around 360 mOsm/kg (that of semen) is best for sperm function.

As to why they die at all, think about it. Sperm swim, that uses energy. As they don't eat (bizarre idea!) eventually the energy they have will run out, and they will die. Also all cells have a biological clock that says how long the will live and they just die when time runs out.
 
Sorry to keep on so much about sperm etc but i've just got one more question. What happens to the sperm once they die? do the disintergrate or just leak out? :?

(oh, and thanks for all the answers to my questions so far. xxxx)
 

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