Male orgasm occurs via many organs, nerves, blood vessels and hormones acting together in a sequence of steps. At climax, the man ejaculates through powerful, quick muscle contractions (1 every 0.8 seconds), and usually experiences overwhelming pleasurable sensations. However, have you ever wondered what sperm smells like? Here’s what you need to know about the appearance, smell, and lifespan of sperm.
Semen and sperm may have various smells and here are the details:
The normal smell of sperm is much like bleach or chlorine, which may be picked up in hospital, swimming pools, laundry room, etc. The ammonia and other sterile-smelling alkaloids in semen give it the bleachy smell. However, 1 in 5 people cannot perceive this smell, which is why some men and women don't think sperm smells at all.
Possible Influencing Factors
It is said that the following factor may affect the smell of your sperm, but there is no solid proof and may need tests and experiments to verify them.
If your sperm and semen have a fishy or foul smell and their color changes into brown, red, green or yellow, you must have an infection which always occurs at the prostate gland or other organs of male productive system. This is definitely abnormal and you should see a doctor to get tested and treated.
It is said that sperm smells differently in different stages due to the process of decomposition:
The testes release about 200-500 million sperm cells every time a man ejaculates. The sperm account for 2%-5% of semen, and are mixed in with various other substances. Knowing "What does sperm smell like?" is not enough. Here are more useful facts:
As well as "What does sperm smell like?" you may wonder "How long does sperm live?" This mostly depends on whether it's inside a woman's body or not.
Sperm can survive anytime from a few hours to a whole week inside the female reproductive system. However, only a few of the sperm in the ejaculate will last long enough to fertilize an egg.
Sperm usually survive 20-60 minutes outside the body, depending on the surrounding environment. The semen will then dry up, becoming useless.
However, if you are not using contraception, and do not want a baby, you should take the following precautions:
Sperm are present in pre-ejaculation fluid, so the withdrawal method is not a reliable means of contraception. Now you not only have all the answers to "What does sperm smell like, look like and taste like?" but also know the lifespan of sperm in various conditions.