lifetime of semen…

[Leemb123]

it’s probably a stupid question and i’m overthinking but oh well

last night i had some pre ejaculate on my boxers/briefs then touched my joggies wasteband that may or may not have touched it, in the 5 minute span after that i went outside, into the car and down to the shop

i then touched a can of juice with same hand, gave it to the man who touched it in the same area and then served a girl right after me

i’m just concerned about the lifetime of semen and if that person went home, could the semen have survived and gotten them pregnant?

[Heather]

I'm sorry that you're worrying about this: that worry is needless.

Pregnancy doesn't work like infectious disease, and sperm cells don't work like germs. For pregnancy to happen, and whole host of things have to happen, mostly in the body of the person who will actually get pregnant, and that includes that there needs to either be a direct-in -or-to-the-genitals ejaculation, or this needs to happen in lab setting, like with in vitro fertilization. Sperm cells are very, very delicate and they also need the fluid they came with for a chance of pregnancy.

So, there really isn't an issue about a lifespan for sperm cells in the first place, because if they are outside your body and going to other places at all, they can't be useful for a pregnancy.

If you want to know more about the process, this is a full walkthrough: Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide.

I hope this lets you let that worry go!