Why does sperm have different consistency

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Why does semen texture vary? How does ejaculation affect semen texture? Does semen texture affect fertility? When is semen considered healthy? What else could cause a sudden change in texture? When to see your doctor. Overall, sperm makes up a very small portion of semen by volume even though there are a ton of the tiny guys in there. The average ejaculation clocks in at around 1. There's such a boatload of sperm because even though it only takes one to fertilize an egg, there are plenty of booby traps along the way.

First of all, a lot of the semen gets wasted—it doesn't defy gravity and just stay in the vagina if the woman moves around. That's because sperm's pH is slightly basic while the vagina's is slightly acidic. Without the addition of seminal fluid, which helps neutralize the vagina's acidity, sperm would have a much tougher time making it through. Then, whichever sperm survives that trek has to choose the correct fallopian tube to find the egg and actually be in good enough shape to fertilize it.

That's why it can take couples who are trying to conceive an average of five or six months, says Hong. In reality, that clear, sticky pre-ejaculatory fluid is made of prostatic secretions, aka fluid from the prostate, says Shin. With that in mind, it doesn't mean you absolutely can't get pregnant from pre-ejaculate—theoretically, sperm could be hanging out in a dude's urethra from a prior ejaculation. Plus, the fact that pre-ejaculate doesn't contain sperm doesn't protect from sexually transmitted infections.

They might be able to hang on for up to five days! But outside the human body, they can only last for a manner of minutes, so don't worry that they're hanging out in hot tubs and toilet seats just waiting to get you pregnant. Some of the top culprits: regular smoking , excessive heat like working in front of a degree oven all day or using hot tubs a few times a week , and being overweight.

Also, even though it's not scientifically proven, it might be smart for guys to keep laptops away from their actual laps. It's the semen version of how when you're looking at a star, you're actually looking at light from years ago. First, it takes around 64 days for the male body to produce sperm, then around 24 to 28 more days for it to be transported and finally ejaculated, says Shamma.

But if he's healthy, it shouldn't taste positively foul, either. Maybe not like donuts, but definitely not awful. Hydration is one major factor in why a guy's emissions can be a very slippery liquid one day and thick and gloopy the next—the more water he drinks, the thinner it will be.

But this also comes down to a really cool physical mechanism. When those combine, everything liquefies to a smoother consistency, but sometimes the process doesn't finish before a man ejaculates. That's why you may notice tapioca-like "pearls" or a gel-like consistency in semen, says Shin. The average volume of semen produced in a single ejaculation varies from 2 to 5ml, which is roughly a teaspoonful of liquid.

If your semen has a red or brown appearance, it is more than likely due to a burst blood vessel and is usually nothing to worry about.

Within a day or two, semen should return to its normal colour. If your semen has a red or brown appearance, it is usually nothing to worry about. Common causes include leak of blood from fragile blood vessels within the semen storage areas, which are called the vesicles. If the discolouration continues for longer than a few days, this may be a result of infection, trauma or rarely cancer, and you should visit your GP. A pronounced yellow or green colour may indicate a sexually transmitted infection STI.

Other symptoms of STIs in men include sores or blisters on the penis, pain or burning during urination, penile discharge, itching and swelling.

However, some STIs don't present any symptoms at all, so it's important you use a condom and get yourself checked regularly even if your semen appears to be normal. A dry orgasm — when a man reaches a sexual climax but does not ejaculate — can be extremely unnerving.

In most young men it isn't a problem, and is usually just a result of repeated orgasm, whereby the genitals simply 'run out' of seminal fluid, and therefore no liquid is produced. Dry orgasms can be a side effect of taking some anti-depressant medications. However, in older men who have undergone prostate surgery, radiotherapy or other treatments in the prostatic area, this could be a sign of retrograde ejaculation. As men age, seminal fluid volume and the power of ejaculation can fall as the prostate gland enlarges.

This is known as retrograde ejaculation. It may sound drastic, but it's pretty much just down to a realignment of male plumbing and shouldn't cause any damage.