The Frisky Friday Top Five: Semen, sex, and science

If you’re getting it on with a guy, you’re dealing with semen. Why not get to know it better.

1. Mood
There are a ton of mood-enhancing chemicals in semen and the vagina can absorb them. Cortisol increases affection. Estrone and Oxytocin elevate mood. Prolactin and Thyrotropin-releasing hormones are natural antidepressants. Melatonin helps regulate sleep. And Serotonin makes you feel happy. But please don’t try to fight depression with it. It doesn’t quite work like that.

2. Flavor
Smoking can make semen taste bad. Eating too much cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, garlic, onions, meat, curry, and fish can make it taste bitter or salty. Even coffee and beer can throw the taste off.

To make semen taste better, a guy should drink lots of water and eat lots of fruits and vegetables, especially pineapple, celery, watermelon, apples, kiwi, cranberries, blueberries, plums, parsley, and papaya.

3. Calories
A man will ejaculate about 18 quarts of semen over his lifetime and the average volume per ejaculation is about one teaspoon. That amount contains approximately 5 to 25 calories. And 300,000,000 to 500,000,000 sperm! (Another reason why you should use birth control every single time you have sex.)

4. Smile
Semen contains zinc and calcium, both of which prevent tooth decay. But don’t use it to whiten your teeth. That’s a myth and it won’t work.

5. Babies
When a guy ejaculates, the average speed of his semen is 31 mph and it shoots about 7 to 10 inches. Semen contains sperm. Sperm can live up to 5 days in your body. When his sperm reach your egg, it’s possible to make a baby. If you’re not ready for a baby, there are lots of birth control options for you.

And remember that semen can carry HIV and STIs. Before he lets loose, have a talk about your HIV and STI status, and make sure your birth control is fully functioning too.

Oh boy,
Bedsider

P.S. Want to save money on your method? Our free birth control finder can help you do that.