What semen smell can tell you about men's health issues

Semen, like saliva, gastrointestinal fluid, blood, etc., is a body fluid, but only semen has the most obvious smell. Semen is not pure like other body fluids, it is a mixture. In addition to sperm, other seminal plasma components are composed of prostatic fluid, epididymal fluid, seminal vesicle fluid, and various secretions from the urethra and vas deferens.

The smell of normal semen is emitted after the oxidation of a chemical called spermine, which is very similar to the smell of chestnut blossoms. Arginine is one of the many important components contained in prostate secretions. The oxidation of spermine must involve the seminal vesicle fluid. The prostatic fluid obtained through rectal massage generally does not have the smell of natural ejaculated semen.

It can be seen that the smell of normal ejaculated semen comes from the prostate, but it is emitted with the participation of seminal vesicle fluid. The lack of this special smell in semen often indicates prostate dysfunction, and the semen of many prostate patients often does not have this smell.

As for the physiological significance of the special smell of semen, it is speculated that it may be related to sexual desire and sexual behavior. In lower animals, information about sexual activity and sexual selection between the sexes is mainly transmitted through odor; many mammals emit a special odor during the estrus period to attract the opposite sex.

As for the smell of semen, there is no need to eliminate it, and it cannot be eliminated. It is right to love cleanliness, but it is obviously an outdated concept to regard sexual behavior and semen as "dirty" things. Also, a warning to those who love cleanliness: excessive use of "external things" such as deodorants or perfumes will make you lose the sexual charm of your natural body odor.

Excessive semen is also a disease

If you do not ejaculate for several times, or the amount of semen is less than 1.5 ml, it is considered oligospermia. It indicates that you may have diseases such as reproductive system infection, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, testicular dysfunction, endocrine disorder, urethral stenosis, etc. If the amount of semen discharged at one time exceeds 8 ml, it is called polyspermia, which is often caused by inflammation of the seminal vesicle and hypersecretion of pituitary gonadotropin.

Abnormal semen volume and disease

The normal amount of semen ejaculated by a male is 2-7 ml each time. Frequent masturbation or excessive sexual intercourse may result in a smaller and thinner amount of semen during ejaculation. Some people may have too little semen, which may be caused by testicular dysfunction, endocrine disorders, seminal vesicle and prostate diseases, or urethral stenosis. They should see a doctor and receive treatment.

Excessive semen discharge, such as more than 7 ml, is also a pathological condition, mostly caused by seminal vesiculitis.

How to prevent nocturnal emission? The main cause of nocturnal emission is the weakening of the inhibitory process of the cerebral cortex and the enhancement of central excitability. Nocturnal emission often occurs when there is sexual stimulation. Tight underwear, smegma irritation, etc. can lead to reflex nocturnal emission. Balanitis, urethra, prostate, seminal vesicle and other parts of the body can also cause nocturnal emission. However, most of them are due to lack of sexual knowledge, many misunderstandings about sex, and watching pornographic books and videos that cause penile erection and ejaculation.

There is a story like this: In ancient times, there was an emperor who indulged in excessive sexual activities. After the queen’s persuasion failed, she frightened him by saying, “The amount of semen a person can discharge in his lifetime is about 4 dou. After the last drop of semen is used up, a bead will flow out with the word ‘no more’ written on it, and you can never have sex again.” The emperor was very frightened when he heard this, and he no longer dared to indulge in women as before.

Although this is just a story, there are many such cowardly "emperors" in real life. They believe in the saying "one drop of semen equals ten drops of blood". Some people even believe that semen can improve beauty and cure diseases. In fact, these are all fallacies caused by lack of sexual health knowledge. During sexual life, many people mistakenly believe that the more semen there is, the better the sexual function. In fact, male sexual function is mostly related to factors such as age, levels of male hormones and estrogen, physical strength and mental state, and has no direct correlation with the amount of semen.

Experts point out that in a normal male's semen, seminal plasma accounts for more than 95% and sperm accounts for 1%. The main component of seminal plasma is water, accounting for more than 90%. Other components include fat, protein particles and inorganic salts, which are similar to the composition of plasma. Mature sperm are usually stored in the seminal vesicles and epididymis. Even if they are not discharged from the body, they will naturally age and die, and finally be digested by enzymes. Therefore, there is no such thing as "losing sperm will damage your vitality", and it is not a highly nutritious substance or a good medicine.

Normal semen standards for men

According to the normal semen standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), the amount of semen a man ejaculates at one time should be between 2 ml and 7 ml, but the amount of semen is closely related to the frequency of sexual life. For example, some newlyweds have frequent sex during their honeymoon period. In the beginning, they ejaculate a large amount of semen, but later on, it becomes less and less.

The reason is very simple. Although the human body has a strong ability to produce sperm and semen, which can usually be replenished within 1-2 days after ejaculation, if ejaculation is too frequent, a situation of "supply exceeding demand" will still occur. The lack of semen caused by this situation is certainly not a disease, so there is no need to worry about it. It can be cured by extending the interval between ejaculations. Similar situations may also occur with frequent masturbation or nocturnal emission.

Simple test of semen

Most men know some simple self-test methods to observe the characteristics of their semen. Normal semen is weakly alkaline, has a special fishy smell, is grayish white or milky white, and contains grayish white clots. About 10 to 20 minutes after being discharged from the body, the clots liquefy themselves and become translucent, turbid, thin mucus.

If a person has abstinence for a long time, his semen will be light yellow and thicker; if it is bright red or dark red, it may indicate inflammation or reproductive tract damage. Sometimes a couple is separated for a period of time, and after reuniting they have frequent and intense sex. The pressure on the seminal vesicles drops to the lowest level in a short period of time, and dark red semen may appear.