How long can sperm survive inside the female body?

The lifespan of sperm in the female reproductive tract is about a maximum of five days, depending on the quality of the cervical mucus and the general conditions in the area. This is why pregnancy is possible days before ovulation.

Does every sperm release lead to pregnancy?

No. Pregnancy involves many processes that need to come together: healthy sperm, ovulation, fertilisation, and successful implantation. Sometimes, when sperm reaches the egg, fertilisation or implantation may still not take place.

Can lifestyle affect sperm’s ability to fertilise an egg?

Yes, indeed. Smoking, alcohol, stress, poor diet, and tight clothing do harm to sperm, reducing their motility, shape, and count. This can negatively impact male fertility.

What Happens After Sperm Is Released?

Have you ever wondered what happens inside your body once sperm is released? What follows is a short race to the vagina. Many sperm released inside the uterus follow a path that leads to pregnancy.

Step 1: Ejaculation and Entry into the Vagina

Sperm is released in the form of a thick, whitish fluid. This is called semen. With a single ejaculation, 200 to 300 million sperm cells are released.
After entering the vagina, only a small fraction survives the acidic environment. Vaginal fluid is designed to fight any foreign body entering it. Hence, many sperm don’t survive this stage. To survive this environment, sperm contain substances that protect them temporarily. It gives them a chance to move forward.

Step 2: Moving Through Cervical Mucus

After the vagina, there is a passage named the cervix. It is the opening of the uterus. Cervical mucus is a thick, viscous fluid that acts as a barrier. During ovulation, your body produces fertile cervical mucus that becomes thin, stretchy, and slippery. This allows sperm to move easily to the uterus.

Step 3: Entering the Uterus

Sperm enter the uterus after crossing the cervix. Here, powerful contractions of the uterus help guide sperm upward toward the fallopian tubes.
But this stage is also dangerous for sperm. Your immune system views sperm as foreign cells, resulting in many of them being destroyed. Out of thousands, only a few of them make it this far.

Step 4: Journey to the Fallopian Tubes

The fallopian tubes are where fertilisation takes place. Each woman has two fallopian tubes, and the egg is released into one of them during ovulation. The challenge for sperm is to find the tube that contains the egg.
Out of the thousands that enter the uterus, only a few hundred usually reach the entrance of the fallopian tubes.

Step 5: Survival and Capacitation

After the sperm reaches the fallopian tube, it undergoes a process called capacitation. This is a natural change that makes sperm more active and also improves their mobility. This also enables easy penetration of the egg’s outer layer.
Sperm that don’t undergo capacitation won’t be able to fertilise an egg, even if they reach it. Only the strongest, healthiest sperm survive long enough to complete this step.

Step 6: Meeting the Egg

If ovulation has occurred and an egg is there, then sperm will surround it. An egg is much bigger than the sperm and is protected by a thick outer cell layer called the zona pellucida.
The sperm release enzymes from their heads to dissolve and penetrate the barrier.
The moment one sperm penetrates the zona, the egg's surface is changed to prevent entry from any other sperm. It is the way nature ensures the fertilisation of the egg by one sperm.

Step 7: Fertilisation

This occurs when sperm enters the egg, and the genetic material from both sperm and egg cells combine to form a single cell, the very first stage of life: a zygote.

In a total of 46 chromosomes, the zygote contains all the genetic information necessary for the child's development. At the same time, the sex of the child is determined based on whether the sperm contained an X or Y chromosome.

Step 8: Early Cell Division and Travel to the Uterus

After fertilisation, the zygote, while travelling down the fallopian tube, enters the uterus and begins to divide into more cells. This entire journey takes approximately three to five days.

By the time it reaches the uterus, the zygote has developed into a blastocyst, which is a cluster of cells.

Step 9: Implantation

The final and most crucial step is implantation. The blastocyst attaches itself to the lining of the uterus, where it will continue to grow and develop into an embryo.
A successful implantation results in pregnancy. If the body does not do so for some reason, your menstrual lining sheds, and the cycle starts over again.

Factors That Affect This Process

Pregnancy can be influenced by several factors, such as:

Sperm health: Healthy sperm have good motility, normal shape, and numbers to reach the egg.
Cervical mucus quality: For sperm survival, fertile mucus is important.
Uterine and tubal health: Blocked fallopian tubes or other issues can prevent sperm and egg from meeting.

From the release of sperm, a long and complex journey begins. From getting past the acidic vagina to negotiating the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes, sperm make a tough journey. Usually, out of the millions, only one sperm makes it to fertilise the egg.
Knowledge of the process is very necessary if you're trying to conceive or simply curious about how your own body operates. Nature appears to handle the conception part with impeccable ease; the real deal is that conception is a highly choreographed and miraculous event at the biological level.
Whether you’re trying to conceive or navigating IVF, you’re not alone. Join our supportive communities to connect, share, and find strength with others on the same journey.

FAQs on What Happens After Sperm Is Released?

How long can sperm survive inside the female body?
The lifespan of sperm in the female reproductive tract is about a maximum of five days, depending on the quality of the cervical mucus and the general conditions in the area. This is why pregnancy is possible days before ovulation.
Does every sperm release lead to pregnancy?
No. Pregnancy involves many processes that need to come together: healthy sperm, ovulation, fertilisation, and successful implantation. Sometimes, when sperm reaches the egg, fertilisation or implantation may still not take place.
Can lifestyle affect sperm’s ability to fertilise an egg?
Yes, indeed. Smoking, alcohol, stress, poor diet, and tight clothing do harm to sperm, reducing their motility, shape, and count. This can negatively impact male fertility.