I vividly recall a client who left a lasting impression—a 35-year-old woman eagerly planning her first pregnancy. Her fertility charts painted an optimistic picture with regular ovulations, a well-functioning ovarian corpus luteum, and healthy cervical mucus during ovulation. However, the journey to conception proved to be more elusive than anticipated.
Medical examinations revealed tubal blockage, making natural conception impossible.
The woman confessed that she had long held the belief that receiving semen from a man was essential for female health and fostering open sexual intimacy. Sexually transmitted infections she contracted in her youth left scars on her fallopian tubes, ultimately leading to tubal blockage and infertility. A regrettable situation.
It's obvious that that the potential for contracting a sexually transmitted infection far exceeds the perceived benefits of a small amount of semen.
On the other extreme, long-term couples sometimes use barrier contraception for years, fearing sperm entering the vagina.
Yet, is there any actual health benefit of male semen for women's health, or is it an established myth?
Semen typically consists of about 1–5% sperm and 95–99% fluid. The fluid comprises approximately 70-85% from the epididymis, roughly 25-30% from the prostate gland, and 1% from the seminal vesicles.
Additionally, it contains fructose, vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants, and other substances that create optimal conditions for sperm maintenance and movement.
Semen also contains hormones like prostaglandins and estrogens, which can stimulate ovulation, develop corpus luteum and create local immunity in the vagina. Furthermore, these substances may assist in clearing the uterus of menstrual blood.
Studies suggest that this phenomenon is a vital component of priming the female body for potential conception, facilitating an adaptation to the foreign genetic composition of the prospective offspring.
In essence, there is a defined benefit, but it's not a magical elixir for your skin or a source of superpowers, as some popular myths suggest.
Engaging in open sexual intimacy without fear of pregnancy is possible if you trust your partner and can observe fertility biomarkers. Follow the hashtag #naturalcontraception to learn more about a safe and highly effective contraception method.
What myths about semen's properties have you heard?