What is pre-ejaculation? Is it sperm or not? Can you start with that? Are the risks high? Is there something else besides the pregnancy? Let's talk about everything in order.
What is pre-ejaculation?
Pre-ejaculate, it is pre-cum, it is also pre-cum, it is also Cooper's fluid - this is a transparent secret that is released from the penis in a state of sexual arousal. Cooper's glands and Littre's glands, located near the urethra, the same tube through which sperm and urine leave a man's body, are thought to produce pre-semen.
Amin Gerati, MD, a urologist at Johns Hopkins University, explains that precum prepares the urethra for the passage of semen. The fact is that urine creates an acidic environment, which is very hostile to sperm. Precum is needed to neutralize residual acidity and make the path safe for the seed. In general, he considers precum as an opening artist for the main headliner of the show.
Wait, so there's sperm in the pre-cum?
No, they don't live there. But those little sources of tail trouble can stay in the urethra if your partner ejaculated before sex, especially if he didn't urinate afterward. And if all the stars align, Cooper's fluid could very well carry live sperm into your vagina.
"Usually this is not enough, " says Dr. Geraghty. "The probability of pregnancy from precum is very low, but it is never zero. "
There is not as much research on this topic as we would like. In 2013, the Human Fertility magazine published the results of one of them: scientists analyzed 40 pre-ejaculate samples provided by 27 men. Live spermatozoa were found in the presence of 41% of the participants. True, you can't call them first class: only 37% were mobile enough to make the trip to the womb.
The study authors noted that all but one of the "samples" contained up to 23 million sperm. It sounds ominous, but it's not really a number to fear. In 2010, the WHO examined the semen of 1, 953 men who had pregnant women in the past year, and only 2. 5% of these men had less than 23 million sperm in their semen.
And why are we talking about pre-ejaculate?
The topic of presperm is usually brought up in connection with the interruption method (also known as coitus interruptus, like the name of a dinosaur, right? ), which couples often use for birth control. It consists of the man taking the penis out of the vagina just before ejaculation to minimize the risk of pregnancy.
As you probably guess, this is not the most effective protection method - its reliability is only 78% with "normal" (non-ideal) performance. And it certainly doesn't protect against STDs. But the pre-cum is not to blame for the do-it-yourself doubt: there are no studies that could answer the question of when pregnancy occurred due to pre-cum and when, due to sperm, a drop of which, however, ended. in the vagina due to man's carelessness.
So the problem is not that the pre-cum contains a large amount of sperm that can make you pregnant. The point is that it is very difficult to use the interrupt method perfectly. If you're concerned about both lines, choose condoms that have a 2% failure rate. Also, make sure your partner puts on the condom before his penis is in her vagina.
If you are going to resort to interruption, remember: it requires trust in the lover. Do you know for sure that he is in control of himself and will always follow the rules that you have established together? Discuss emergency contraception – don't forget that it is more expensive than condoms, and if disruption to the economy is chosen, then you can get into trouble.
And of course there are STDs. If both of you have been tested and are not having unprotected sex with other people, then you have done everything you can to avoid such illnesses. But if these two points are not met, it must be taken into account: without barrier contraception, it is very easy to contract something unpleasant.
And the infection occurs regardless of ejaculation. For example, gonorrhea and chlamydia often have a discharge from the genital tract that can transmit infections, and for some STDs, skin-to-skin contact is sufficient. Condoms will not protect against the latter, but they do help reduce the number of contacts.
Well, let's summarize. Precum is quite an interesting thing that has a specific purpose. Science cannot yet confidently answer the question of how big the risk of getting pregnant through your fault is, but it doesn't matter. The bottom line is that if you rely on the withdrawal method and don't use condoms, you risk getting pregnant and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. If this thought scares you, talk to your doctor: he will help you choose the means of protection that best suit your lifestyle.