semen and sperm - Sexual Health - Men Message Board

Tankman10024 · 06-17-2003, 04:44 PM

Hi
This might be a silly question, but is semen and sperm the same thing?

Tankman

allygirl · 06-17-2003, 04:53 PM

yes

MrNice · 06-17-2003, 06:30 PM

No, they are not the same. Semen is the milky, whiteish fluid which is produced by the prostate gland and which carries the sperm cells produced in the testes.

It's the sperm that fertilizes the egg and results in pregnancy. The semen is fluid which is ejaculated at orgasm. In the semen are the sperm cells. You can't see the sperm without a microscope.

Anytime there is is semen present, including pre-ejaculatory fluid it is likely that it contains sperm.

Therefore, to prevent pregnancy it is important to avoid getting any semen into or near the vagina. Using a condom as soon as the penis becomes erect and well before it comes anywhere near the girl's vagina is important to both prevent any chance of pregnancy as well as to avoid any possible STD's.

allygirl · 06-18-2003, 05:44 AM

Oops.

[This message has been edited by allygirl (edited 06-18-2003).]

focus · 06-18-2003, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrNice:
No, they are not the same. Semen is the milky, whiteish fluid which is produced by the prostate gland and which carries the sperm cells produced in the testes.

I would just like to add to that, that the prostate isn't the only gland that produces the seminal fluid. The prostate only produces about 40% of the volume of semen. Most of the seminal fluid is produced by the seminal vessicles. But its the prostate fluid that gives semen that whitish color.

Basically, semen consists of many different ingredients, sperm just being one of them, and is produced by several different glands, and it all gets mixed together at the instant of ejaculation.