Status of unused semen inside woman?

[Rpick62]

Hi, over the past months I have been in a new relationship where my gf has had previous partners. I am wondering what happens with the semen that remains inside a woman's vagina? Are they absorbed? Do they stay in her for life? I know this sounds like a stupid questions and I hate thinking about her in this way but I have OCD and I obsess over the fact that there could possibly still be another partner's cells inside my girlfriend. Please tell me this cannot possibly be true? I have done other research and does a woman's discharge remove the cells from another partner? And how is semen removed from the fallopian tubes when the sperm make their way up there? I know this is a long and quite silly question but I really just need some sound information.

[Sam W]

Hi Rpick,

If someone engages in unprotected intercourse, semen will pool in the vagina and then run out. This usually happens within a few hours, or a few days as the vagina cleans itself (if sperm get through the cervical opening but no pregnancy occurs, they all die).

You mention having OCD. Are you currently seeing a counselor to help you with it?

[Rpick62]

Not at the moment but I feel that it is a good idea. What happens to the dead sperm cells? Are they absorbed by the body? How does the female body get rid of them?

[Heather]

Yep, just like the body does with other kinds of cells all the time, the body just absorbs and recycles any cellular waste.

[Rpick62]

Heather, I read a similar post regarding this issue and you stated that the only cells in your body are your own... Is this true? How exactly are these cells recycled? Are they chemically degraded and destroyed by thr woman's own cells? Can you elaborate any further?

[Mo]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking here, about cells in your body being your own - your body is you, everything making it up is you, so yes, any cells making up anyone's body will be their own. If there is something within the body that's not needed - whether that's waste, dead cells, foreign matter, etc. - the body is going to either expel it or break it down and reuse it.

As Sam said above, for the most part sperm and semen are going to be eventually flushed out of the vagina, which is self-cleaning. And as Heather said, any other cells remaining inside someone are going to be broken down and reused to rebuild cells etc. If you're interested in the specific mechanics of how cells process waste there are going to be some good resources on cellular biology at your local library.

Maybe it would help to think about this in the context of other parts of someone's body that might come in contact with and be on/in our own after sex or other intimate contact, such as hairs, dead skin cells, or saliva. In the same way as sperm, these cells are either removed from the body or broken down, through the natural processes the body uses for all sorts of things, to be reused or treated as waste. But none of these are somehow permanently lurking around someone's body for days or years to come.

It sounds like you're asking about this because you're uncomfortable or upset by the idea that there might be some physical evidence of your girlfriend's previous partners in her body. Does that sound right? Do you have a sense of why that is (or what the source of this worry is, if that's not quite right)?

[Rpick62]

Thank you for your reply! I know it is a weird way of thinking but I guess it does bother me of that possibility. I have OCD so I get an image of that possibility and obsess over it but I am going to see therapy because I know it shouldn't affect me in the way it does and I don't want it affect my relationship with my gf. One last question, does the dead sperm in any way affect a possible baby being produced? I know this sounds stupid but I just want to clear my mind of this and get my thoughts out.

[Mo]

It might help to read through this article about what is needed for pregnancy to happen; there are really specific conditions that have to be met and I think reading this will make clear that what you're imagining just isn't possible: Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide

[Rpick62]

Thank you for the article but I am still slightly confused. So is there in no way possible that the dead sperm can affect the genes of the baby? I just need a yes or no answer.

[Mo]

What you're describing is not possible in any way.

[Rpick62]

Thank you for the article but I am still slightly confused. So is there in no way possible that the dead sperm can affect the genes of the baby??? I just need a yes or no answer.

[Rpick62]

Sorry for the above question, I am new to the whole forum thing Thank you so much for the clarification on this issue it has helped me a lot. I think my main problem is my OCD and the thoughts that come into my head. Once again thank you!

[Karyn]

Glad the clarification helped. It does sound like your OCD is causing some difficulties for you though, so if you'd like some help figuring out how to find a counsellor or therapist, that's something we can talk about.