Semen normally smells like ammonia, bleach, or chlorine. Semen is about 1 percent sperm and 99 percent other compounds, enzymes, proteins, and minerals. Many of these substances are alkaline. This means that they're above a 7 on the pH scale, which is measured from 0 (highly acidic) to 14 (highly alkaline).
Natural remedies to restore balance
- Avoiding harsh soaps and douching. Soaps typically have a high pH, and using them to clean the vaginal area may increase vaginal pH.
- Taking a probiotic supplement or suppository.
- Changing tampons regularly.
- Using barrier protection during sex.
The rest of what a man ejaculates in his ejaculate, which is about a teaspoonful (5 ml), is made up of water, sugar, protein, vitamin C, zinc, and prostaglandins. Semen or seminal fluid is the mixture of sperm and the secretions of the seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and the bulbourethral glands.
But sperm count is only one factor in male fertility. Home sperm tests require ejaculation into a collection cup. While procedures vary for transferring semen and completing the test, results are typically available within a few minutes. The tests work by detecting a protein found only in sperm.
Symptoms
- Problems with sexual function — for example, low sex drive or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction)
- Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area.
- Decreased facial or body hair or other signs of a chromosome or hormone abnormality.
Acidic ejaculate (lower pH value) may indicate one or both of the seminal vesicles are blocked. A basic ejaculate (higher pH value) may indicate an infection. A pH value outside of the normal range is harmful to sperm and can affect their ability to penetrate the egg.
Your doctor will take each of the following results into account:
- Sperm shape. A normal result for sperm shape is that more than 50 percent of sperm are normally shaped.
- Movement. For a normal result, more than 50 percent of sperm must move normally an hour after ejaculation.
- pH.
- Volume.
- Liquefaction.
- Sperm count.
- Appearance.
Increasing chances with more alkaline foods
- increasing intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- increasing intake of foods that contain potassium, such as bananas, salmon, avocados.
- increasing foods with high alkalinity, such as citrus fruits, root vegetables, nuts.
- avoiding dairy products.
Gender selection is performed through sperm separation or genetic testing.
As to whether there's a guaranteed way to influence your chances have a boy — no, there isn't. Short of medically implanting an embryo that is known to be a boy, there are no guarantees when it comes to the sex of your baby.
A simple, reversible chemical treatment can segregate X-bearing sperm from Y-bearing sperm, allowing dramatic alteration of the normal 50/50 male/female offspring ratio, according to a new study.
For the most part, yes, the components that make up semen are safe to ingest. Swallowed semen is digested in the same way as food. However, in very rare circumstances, some people might discover that they're allergic to semen. This is also known as human seminal plasma hypersensitivity (HSP).
Most fruits and vegetables, soybeans and tofu, and some nuts, seeds, and legumes are alkaline-promoting foods, so they're fair game. Dairy, eggs, meat, most grains, and processed foods, like canned and packaged snacks and convenience foods, fall on the acid side and are not allowed.
Normally, semen is a thick, whitish liquid. However, several conditions can change the color and consistency of semen. Watery semen can be a sign of low sperm count, indicating possible fertility problems. Ejaculating thin, clear semen may also be a temporary condition with no serious health concerns.
Thick semen usually results from a higher than normal concentration of sperm in a typical volume of semen, or from having a high number of sperm with an irregular shape (morphology). High sperm concentration often indicates that you're more likely to impregnate a female partner.
Typically, semen has a faint smell caused by a mixture of chemicals, such as citric acid and calcium. Semen with an unusual smell, such as a strong, fishy odor, might be a sign of infection.
How many sperm do you need to get pregnant? It takes just one sperm to fertilize a woman's egg. Keep in mind, though, for each sperm that reaches the egg, there are millions that don't. On average, each time men ejaculate they release nearly 100 million sperm.
In rare cases, people have been known to have allergic reactions to proteins in their partner's semen (semen allergy). Semen allergy isn't a direct cause of infertility. Signs and symptoms of semen allergy include redness, burning and swelling where the semen has contacted the skin, usually in the outer genital area.
