Maartje van Caspel
Man milk, jism, load, cum, nut, seed. There are a lot of words for semen, but not as much knowledge about the stuff. Yet, the odds are if you’re a sexually active adult, you’ve interacted with quite a bit of it. Men get a lot of grief for knowing little about the female anatomy and biological processes, but have you checked your knowledge about the, umm, juice men ejaculate when brought to orgasm?
For many, it’s to be wiped up or caught in a condom. For others, it’s the magical ingredient to creating a family. However, there is a lot more to learn about semen—and here’s what you should know.
Sperm Vs Semen
Source: Carol Yepes / Getty
Sperm and semen are often mistaken for one another but are different in very important ways. Sperm are the actual reproductive cells of males. They are what must make it to the egg if fertilization is going to happen. Semen is simply the liquid that carries the sperm. That’s why when a couple is trying to become pregnant, a man might provide a “sample” to a fertility doctor who will analyze the sperm count within the semen. Producing the sticky stuff isn’t enough when you want to make a baby – it’s what’s in it (the sperm) that counts.
More Semen Does Not Equal More Sperm
Source: Aleksandr Zubkov / Getty
There is no correlation between the size of a man’s load and how fertile he is. In general, men ejaculate only about a teaspoon’s worth of fluid when they cum, but even those putting out two teaspoons’ worth aren’t more likely to get a partner pregnant. If you’re trying to get pregnant, don’t worry if your man produces just a little dribble.
The Pineapple Thing Is A Myth
Source: Judy Unger / Getty
Sorry fellas, but you can no longer convince your partner that your jizz will taste sweet because you’ve been eating pineapples. There is no proven way to make your stuff taste or smell better – technically. There’s nothing men can do to make it taste good but there’s something they can stop doing to make it taste less bad and that is smoking. The toxins in cigarettes can make a man’s semen taste foul.
His Stuff Could Get You High
Source: Anna Efetova / Getty
Sort of. A study done at Harvard Medical University found that men who regularly use marijuana might have significant levels of THC in their semen. Of the 12 participants in the study, two subjects produced semen containing the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Though not yet explored, the main concern of these findings would be how THC-containing sperm could impact fertility and fetal development.
There’s A Mini Factory Behind It
Source: Yevgen Romanenko / Getty
Many believe that semen production occurs in the testicles, but that is not true. There are several parts of the body involved in the production of sperm. It all starts the in the prostate, where the sticky white substance is created, rich with enzymes, proteins and other good things. Then it’s onto the seminal vesicles, which Cleveland Clinic explains are glands that make most of the fluids that become semen. Finally, the testicles are where the actual sperm is made, and some additional fluid.
Pre-Cum Isn’t Really A Thing
Source: Delmaine Donson / Getty
Anecdotally, there has been concern about “pre-cum” causing pregnancy in those who use the pull-out method (not a great form of birth control – as MADAMENOIRE discusses here). However, research published in the National Library of Medicine confirms that what we know to be “pre-cum” forms in a completely different gland than the semen and will not contain any baby-making ingredients. However, if a penis had recently ejaculated before intercourse, some leftover semen from that could be carried in pre-cum, so there is technically a risk in that scenario.
His Seed Quality Drops As He Ages
Source: Tanja Ivanova / Getty
There’s the age-old myth that men can make babies “forever,” but that’s not entirely true. Men are up against a bit of a biological clock, too. Research from Reviews in Urology found that the motility of sperm decreases as men age. The concentration of sperm within semen also drops, and it’s more common for the sperm of a man in his fifties and up to be “abnormal” than in younger men.
RELATED CONTENT: Misconceptions Some Women Have About The Male Body
