When sperm hits are does it die?!?

Question

me and my friend are arguing she says sperm dies when it hits air but how do they put it in a cup to get a girl pregnant if it kills the sperm? i'm curious!

Answer 1

lol what an argument...well, if you want I could give you a fresh sample for free, you just have to do me one little favor. lol J/K it doesnt die instantly, thats why there is a goo, it takes a while or when it dries....

Answer 2

Sperm are alive and active as long as they are wet. If the area if moist and damp the sperm can live 48-72 hours. Inside the body the sperm are alive for much longer and are therefore viable for a longer duration. Once the sperm becomes dry it is safe to say that they are no longer living. Sperm are very determined little creatures. Active sperm placed near the vagina can find their way into the body to fertilize the ovum. Pregnancy can and does happen this way.


Semen dries up when it is exposed to air. As it does, the sperm will be neutralized and die. Washing your hands with soap and water will also get rid of the active sperm. This would be a good practice to get into if you and your partner are going to engage in digital stimulation (fingering). Hand washing also helps prevent the spread of bacteria and other germs.

Answer 3

No sperm doesn't die right away when it comes into contact with air. Sperm are very tough little creatures. Think about it...the vagina is a very acidic environment and they have to swim like salmon to the egg. It sa torturous journey. Then they race against to plant the seed. In a cup..its a growing medium that suits the sperms life enabling it to live.

Answer 4

Air does NOT kill sperm. It is extremely rare, but some women have actually become impregnated by sperm ejaculated near the vaginal opening. If there is enough moisture the little fella can SWIM before they dry up. Moral of the story? STAY AWAY FROM SPERM!

Answer 5

Sperm needs to be warm and moist. It survives for example, several days in a nice warm vagina.

The myth exists because sperm in the open air usually cools off and dries up fairly soon - within an hour, depending how cold it is. Air doen't kill sperm- cooling and drying kill sperm.

I recall a man on the radio describing his sperm test after a vasectomy - he had to "produce" the sperm sample at home, and bring it in to the lab, keeping it at body temperature. That consisted of "putting" the sample into a small sample tube. He puts a tight lid on it and puts it under his armpit and has to get to the lab within a half-hour. He gets pulled over by the police and doesn't want to explain his situation to the cop, who might think he's a wierdo...

Basically - if you get sperm on your hands, and they are warm and clammy, maybe you don't want to touch your vaginal area before washing. Ditto for splashes that get on your clothes and you then pull them on over your soggy bits... If you DONT want to get pregnant, don't take chances. It only takes one...

Answer 6

Let me donate my sperm and I will let you know. I am sure it must be some kind of a controlled environment :)

Sperm can live maybe a few seconds after it hits air. That is what I have read.

Answer 7

Sperm can live outside the body for up to 24 hours.

Answer 8

Sperm can live for about 48 hours outside the body.

Answer 9

sperm does not die the minute it hits air, it will live outside the body for a few hours. So if you have it on your hands, wash 'em before you touch yourself.

Answer 10

No, it doesn't. Without dehydrating, sperm can live from 4-6 hours. With dehydration, only 1-3 hours, that's it. I hope this helps.

Answer 11

sperm needs to be a certain temperature for it to ideally impregnate a women, and all it takes it one to enter the egg cell, outside the body sperm does not live very well much less for long.