How long can a sperm wait in the body?

[Rainypooh]

I heard that sperms can live in the female’s body/cervix for up to 5 days and it scares me! Can they live in the body for 5 days or more while I have my period and wait for the next time I ovulate to fertilise the egg?

Does that make any sense? I am just trying to wrap my head around how the menstruation cycle works because as you mentioned, no day is a safe day right? If no day is a safe day, does it mean that the sperm can literally wait there so long until there is an egg available to fertilise? Can they wait there even though I am having my period? Or it’s not safe because we don’t know exactly when ovulation is unless we measure the basal body temperature and cervical fluids?

[Sam W]

Hi Rainypooh,

While sperm cells can survive a few days in the body, they can't just wait and wait and wait until an egg comes along. If those few days pass and conditions haven't been right for them to help create a fertilized egg, then they die. If someone has unprotected sex right before or during their period, their are two things to keep in mind. One is that during a period there is usually no egg for sperm to fertilize and the uterine lining a fertilized egg would need to implant into is being shed. And two, the vaginal environment around the time of a period is not super friendly to sperm.

But,if the person with a penis is wearing a condom, all of the above concerns disappear, because sperm aren't getting in to the body. That's part of why we recommend people use condoms. And if all this stuff is scaring you, that's a sign you may not be ready to engage in the kind of sex that poses a risk of pregnancy.

[Rainypooh]

I know that sperms can survive for up to 5 days and I am worried about that. I am having my period now but Is it possible that any sperm can wait there while I have my period for the next 2 days (my period usually lasts 3-4 days) and fertilise the egg for the next cycle when my period is finish since my period is only lasts for 3 days?

Meaning can it be that I had my period this month, but I may actually be pregnant next month due to that incident? My cycle is usually about 42 days long. How does it work?

I did not have sex by the way. It was touching of my underwear with his fingers but I don’t know if there was precum or not on his fingers. It happened two days before my period started, so 4 days ago on 8 August 2019.

I am just confused about the whole “sperm can survive in your body and wait for the egg” theory... will be great if you can enlighten me on that.

[Sam W]

Is there a particular part of the idea that sperm can survive a few days in your body that you're confused by?

To answer your concerns about your period, I'm going to quote from this article: https://www.scarleteen.com/article/advi ... ds_and_sex. "When you get your period after a risk -- so long as it comes around the time you expected it and looks and feels like your usual period -- it's usually safe to assume pregnancy did not or is not going to occur from that risk."

Too, it sounds like you could use some information on how pregnancy actually happens, because right now you're worried about something that doesn't pose a risk. You can read all about that here: Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide

[Heather]

I do think that we're flirting with talk about a pregnancy scare here, which is something we need to hold a limit about not engaging with. So, after this, I think it's time for us to let you read those links and then just wait this out. It sounds like you might also need to have a talk with your boyfriend about what kinds of sexual activity you are and aren't comfortable with: sounds like you found out this isn't a kind you feel ready for.

That said, it sounds like one thing you also aren't quite getting is that in order for there to be an ovum for sperm cells to fertilize in the first place, on top of there needing to be viable sperm cells and the fluid they came with present (like Sam said, what you're asking about isn't a way that can happen), all the hormonal things that need to happen for the ovaries to release an egg, and then for that egg to get in the right place have to be afoot. And that can't happen right when someone has just finished a period, because it just takes more time than that for the body to stop the hormonal things it's done and is doing for someone to have a period, THEN shift to what it needs to do to signal an egg, and THEN for that released egg to have time to move down the fallopian tubes. On top of THAT, you need to also have a very specific kind of vaginal environment, and how the vagina is during and right around a period is the literal opposite of that.

[Rainypooh]

Hi Heather and Sam,

Thank you for the response.

I am confused as to how and when the sperm can fertilise the egg.

Can they fertilise the egg only if the eggs are in the Fallopian tube and are ripen/mature? Or can they wait around in the female’s body and fertilise the eggs stored in the ovaries sac?

And when you say “more time for the body to stop hormonal things” do you mean it take several days to produce the hormones to signal and release the egg to the Fallopian tubes? How long does that take? I assume it will be at least 2 weeks right? Cause when the ovulation starts to when you have your period is about 2 weeks?

Please enlighten me. Thank you

[Heather]

Sounds like you didn't get a chance to read this link Sam gave you. That's me explaining this whole process and having real time to do it in a clear way, so me explaining it here would literally just be me saying the same things when they're already right there for reading.

So, how about you have a go with this -- Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide -- okay?

You'll find the specific information you're looking for a few paragraphs in with this section:

During each fertility or menstrual cycle, one of those usually develops, is released by the ovaries and pulled into one of the fallopian tubes. The link at the start of this paragraph, paired with this one, can tell you more about the fertility cycle, and about what has to happen for that ovum to develop and get released in the first place. If there's no ovum, or won't be one within a few days, pregnancy can't happen.

That section also has a link to another piece that explains how the whole fertility cycle works that can answer your questions about hormones and the timing of the release of an egg.