If you were thinking of kicking off tonight’s foreplay with some oral sex for your partner with a penis and planning on swallowing once your partner finishes, you might be wondering what exactly is in the semen you’re consuming. You’re probably aware that there’s definitely sperm involved, but what else? And is it possible that there are any health benefits to swallowing sperm or semen?
As it turns out, sperm (aka the reproductive cells made in the testicles) doesn’t even make up the majority of semen. According to Dr. Jennifer Anger, professor of urology, vice chair of research at the UC-San Diego department of urology, and co-author of A Woman’s Guide to Her Pelvic Floor, sperm only makes up a “small proportion” of semen. And while there are several small studies around the potential health benefits of consuming semen, the reality is a bit more nuanced than “semen is healthy because it has protein!” (It does, along with other nutrients — more on that in a minute! — but in such small amounts that it’s not clear if you’ll actually benefit from them by swallowing.)
So what does the research tell us about the health benefits of semen, if any, and what do the experts have to say about it all? Read up below before the next time you go down on your partner with a penis.
(P.S. One quick reminder — no matter what you make of the potential health benefits of consuming semen, either orally or vaginally, remember that unprotected sex can lead to very real consequences like STIs and pregnancy. Use birth control if you’re not looking to get pregnant and condoms to protect from STIs — and encourage your partners to get tested as well.)
What is semen made of?
Semen is the fluid released when a person with a penis ejaculates, and it contains contains sperm and much more. “Most (60%+) of semen fluid is made of yellowish fluid from the seminal vesicles, which includes sugar (fructose) to nourish the sperm,” Anger tells SheKnows.
Further background: “The prostate gland produces about 10-30% of semen’s fluid, which is whitish or clear and thin,” Anger says. The prostate fluid is there to help “nourish and transport sperm.” The peri-urethral glands also produce a “lubricating substance” that makes up a small amount of semen, she adds.
Semen contains protein, but…
So, it’s true that there is protein in sperm — just not a whole lot of it. According to a 2013 study in the Journal of Andrology, 100 milliliters of semen contains about five grams of protein. That doesn’t sound too bad, until you consider that a typical ejaculation consists of about two to five milliliters of semen. With that math, you’re only getting around 0.25 grams of protein per ejaculation — a fraction of the 15 to 30 grams of protein that’s generally recommended per meal, according to Mayo Clinic. “There is only a tiny amount of protein in an ejaculate,” Anger confirms.
Is semen is an anti-depressant?
A 2002 study conducted on 293 female college students found that exposure to semen might be associated with fewer symptoms of depression. The study compared female students at the State University of New York in Albany who were having sex with condoms versus those who were having sex without, and found that the latter group overall showed fewer signs of depression.
According to the study’s authors, “These data are consistent with the possibility that semen may antagonize depressive symptoms, and evidence which shows that the vagina absorbs a number of components of semen that can be detected in the bloodstream within a few hours of administration.” Basically, the vagina absorbs semen quickly, and thus its benefits can be easily detected in the bloodstream.
That said, this was a small study that didn’t include long-term a follow-up with participants, and our experts don’t recommend taking it as fact. “While there are some claims that semen can improve mood and have other effects, there is no solid data to support this,” says Dr. Karyn Eilber, professor of urology and Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Program Director for the Cedars-Sinai Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship training program, who along with Anger make up two-thirds of the Down There Doctors.
Can semen help you sleep?
Studies have found that semen contains melatonin, which is a chemical that induces sleep and relaxation. No studies have looked into whether ingesting semen can actually help the recipient fall asleep like a melatonin supplement does, though, so it’s unclear if this potential benefit is legit.
Semen does contain vitamins and minerals
In addition to protein, semen contains several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, calcium, fructose, sodium, vitamin B12, and zinc. There’s a decent amount of zinc (about three percent of your daily allowance, per a 2013 review), but swallowing some semen or having sex sans condom definitely shouldn’t replace your daily multivitamin. “While ejaculate does have some nutrients and minerals like zinc, fructose, and vitamin C, the amount of these is so minuscule, it will not confer any significant nutritional benefit,” Eilber says.
Semen could lower the risk of preeclampsia
According to a 2014 study, pregnant people who are exposed vaginally to their partner’s semen have a “significantly” lower risk of developing preeclampsia. (The study didn’t find the same association with oral sex.) Preeclampsia is a complication during pregnancy that results in abnormally high blood pressure and could lead to complications during and after birth.
The study authors noted that this may be because “prior and prolonged exposure to paternal antigens” in semen increases “maternal tolerance” to the fetus, which can help protect it from being rejected and help facilitate “successful implantation and placentation.” In other words, a pregnant person who is frequently exposed to the semen that got them pregnant helps their body accept the fetus, which is (after all) half made up of that genetic material that the body registers as foreign. Further studies and a review have also confirmed the link between sperm exposure and a lower risk of preeclampsia.
It might reduce the risk of prostate cancer and relieve stress (when expelled)
So this last one’s not so much a health benefit of consuming semen, but rather the act of semen being released. “There is some evidence that ejaculating regularly can ‘clean out the pipes’ and possibly reduce the risk of prostate cancer,” Anger says, though she notes that “ejaculating can also be correlated with better cardiovascular health (sex is a form of exercise, after all), which may explain this finding.”
Another benefit of ejaculation: it “can help with sleep and also help relieve stress,” Anger says. Some people with chronic prostatitis (a prostate disorder that usually involves inflammation) may also “find that ejaculating on a regular basis can help their symptoms,” Eilber adds.
So there are definitely some health benefits to ejaculating, but not quite enough evidence to say whether swallowing is going to help you with your health goals. Protection during any kind of sex (including oral!) is crucial, of course, but if you’re with a trusted and tested partner, “there is no harm” to swallowing if you enjoy it, Anger says. Just keep your expectations reasonable when it comes to the health benefits.
A version of this article was originally published in April 2015.
Before you go, check out these sex positions you should definitely cross off the bucket list:
Leave a Comment