Sperm: How long do they live after ejaculation?
How long do sperm live after ejaculation?
- No name / No state given
Mayo Clinic obstetrician and gynecologist Roger Harms, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.
Answer
The life span of sperm after they're ejaculated depends on the environmental conditions. Sperm ejaculated into a woman's vagina remain alive in the mucus of the cervix and are able to fertilize an egg for three to five days. Sperm ejaculated outside the body usually live only a few hours.
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