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Dublin, NH
A 18-year-old male asked:

How long after sperm hits oxygen does it take to die?

1 doctor answer4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Neeoo Chin
Fertility Medicine 42 years experience
Depends: It's not the oxygen that kills sperm it's more the ambient temperature. Also sperm does not survive well within the semen. So to answer your question the temperature matters and also the environment that the sperm is in will determine the length it survives.
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Similar questions

Australia
A 17-year-old female asked:

How long does it take for sperm to die when it is exposed to air?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Pavel Conovalciuc
Family Medicine 25 years experience
Seconds to minutes: Sperm is very unstable in the environment and will die very quickly.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:

How long does it take sperm to die after expulsion?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. George Klauber
Specializes in Pediatric Urology
Depends where: Sperm can live up to a week in the fallopian tube if they get that far. Do not survive more than a few hours in vagina unless they pass thru opening in cervix. They need to pass thru uterus to fallopian tube to survive. Die soon after ejaculation if outside vagina. Can survive many years if frozen as at a sperm bank. Need to be inserted rapidly after ejaculation if used for artificial insemination.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 23-year-old male asked:

How long does it take sperm to die in air.

2 doctor answers2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Pavel Conovalciuc
Family Medicine 25 years experience
Minutes: Sperm is very sensitive to any environment other than testicles. Even in the vagina tons of sperm cells die quickly. Outside of the body it dies quickly as it dries up.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 21-year-old female asked:

When sperm hits the air does it die?

1 doctor answer3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Deborah Wong
Family Medicine 36 years experience
NO: This may be a misconception for couples using the "pull out method" for contraception. Sperm may not be viable for long "out in the air" however, if you are using the pull out method for contraception, normal sperm are very active and strong swimmers, so even if most of ejaculation happens after "pull out" and , even small amounts left close to the vagina, can make a bee line to the womb.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Related questions

A 41-year-old member asked:
How long does it take sperm to die in a condom?
Dr. John Holden
Fertility Medicine 36 years experience
Sperm in a condom: Some condoms contain spermicide, causing sperm death quickly. In regular condoms, sperm may remain viable for several days.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 20-year-old female asked:
Does sperm really die when it hits air?
Dr. Creighton Wright
surgery 58 years experience
Pretty quick!: Depends on surrounding ejaculate a bit. But exposure is not good outside. A single spermatozoa exposed will die quickly,
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 36-year-old member asked:
Could sperm die when it dries or when it hits the air?
Dr. Heidi Fowler
Psychiatry 27 years experience
When sperm is: dried out - it is no longer functional / alive.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 18-year-old female asked:
How long does it take for sperm cells to die, if they were on a surface and wiped up by a towel?
Dr. Lester Thompson
Pathology 35 years experience
Up to 24 hours: Sperm can remain viable for quite some time. If they are in a warm, moist environment, they can be active for several days. However, if they are dried... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Does sperm die once it hits the air? Someone told me that sperm dies when it hits the air i don't totally believe that at all.
Dr. Richard Sarle
Urology 24 years experience
Sperm : It does not die when it hits the air. When people dontate sperm they ejaculate in a cup and it is frozen for use later. The air does not kill the sp... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated Jul 4, 2017

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