How Long Does Sex Last? The Real Average, Explained by an Andrologist
How long does sex last? Here’s the honest answer, straight away: when researchers actually timed it with a stopwatch, the average lasted a median of about 5.4 minutes from penetration to ejaculation — what doctors call the intravaginal ejaculation latency time, or IELT (Waldinger, 2005). Not 30 minutes. Not an hour. About five and a half minutes — and that is completely normal. As a practising andrologist in Chennai, I am asked this almost every day, usually by a worried young man who is convinced that “real” sex should last half an hour and that he is failing some test. So let me set the record straight with the actual evidence, because the truth is far more reassuring than the myth — and once you see the real numbers, most of the worry simply disappears. Talk to Dr Shah Quick Facts The average is about 5.4 minutes. In a stopwatch study across five countries, the median time from penetration to ejaculation was 5.4 minutes (Waldinger, 2005). The “normal” range is huge. Real measured times ran from under one minute to over forty — there is no single correct number (Waldinger, 2009). “Desirable” is around 7–13 minutes. When sex therapists were asked, they rated 3–7 minutes “adequate” and 7–13 minutes “desirable” (Corty & Guardiani, 2008). Most men who feel “too quick” are actually normal. Men who believe they have premature ejaculation often have the same IELT distribution as everyone else (Janssen & Waldinger, 2019). Genuine premature ejaculation is a real, treatable threshold — roughly within one minute, with distress and loss of control (Serefoglu, 2014) — not just “a bit faster than the films.” So how long does sex actually last? Let me give you the single best piece of evidence we have, because almost no one quotes it properly. A landmark study put a stopwatch in the hands of 491 couples across five countries — the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, Turkey and the United States — and asked them to time intercourse, from penetration to ejaculation, over four weeks. The median came out at 5.4 minutes (Waldinger, 2005). That figure — the intravaginal ejaculation latency time, IELT — is the closest thing we have to a real answer to “how long does sex last.” Why the average sex time is only half the story But the average is only half the story, and the more important half is the spread. The measured times ranged from about half a minute at one end to forty-four minutes at the other, and the distribution was heavily skewed — most men clustered in the few-minute range, with a long tail of much longer times (Waldinger, 2005; Waldinger, 2009). In plain terms: there is no “correct” duration. A man finishing in three minutes and a man going twelve are both squarely within the normal range. Here is the part I most want you to hear, because it lifts a real weight off so many of my patients: men who are convinced they are too quick very often have exactly the same latency-time distribution as men who have no complaint at all (Janssen & Waldinger, 2019). The problem, in a large share of cases, is not the clock — it is the comparison to pornography, to exaggerated talk, and to a number that was never realistic in the first place. There is no single correct duration — the normal range runs from too short to too long, with the average sitting around five minutes. How long does sex last? The real durations at a glance Duration (penetration to ejaculation) What it means Under ~1 minute (with distress & no control) Likely premature ejaculation — treatable About 3–7 minutes “Adequate” — well within normal About 5.4 minutes (the median) The statistical average About 7–13 minutes Rated “desirable” by therapists Routinely 20–30+ minutes, unable to finish May be delayed ejaculation — worth checking How long should sex last? The desirable range “Average” and “should” are different questions, and the second one matters more to most couples. So when researchers asked sex therapists what a good duration actually is, the answers were clear and very human: intercourse of 1–2 minutes was judged “too short,” 3–7 minutes “adequate,” 7–13 minutes “desirable,” and anything past about 10–30 minutes “too long” (Corty & Guardiani, 2008). Notice where 5–6 minutes sits — comfortably inside “adequate,” brushing “desirable.” The number you were probably told to aim for, half an hour, is in the bracket the experts call too long. So let me answer the question I get in Hinglish almost daily — sex ka normal time kitna hota hai? Around five to ten minutes of penetration is a perfectly normal, healthy, satisfying duration. If you are landing anywhere in that band, you do not have a problem to fix. You have a number to stop worrying about. Worried you finish too soon? Talk to Dr Shah today. Book a Call What about foreplay and the whole encounter? Here is where the stopwatch studies can mislead, because they time only penetration. Real intimacy is not a sprint that begins at penetration and ends at ejaculation. A satisfying encounter usually runs much longer than the IELT suggests, because the part that most partners value most happens before and around penetration. In my clinic I tell couples to think in terms of the whole encounter: roughly 7–10 minutes of unhurried foreplay — kissing, touching, oral stimulation, simply being close — followed by 5 or so minutes of penetration, giving a total of around 12–15 minutes that feels generous and complete to both partners. That is not a rule with a stopwatch; it is a reminder that fixating on penetration time alone misses the point. Cross-cultural surveys of what men and women consider a normal, satisfying duration land in much the same place (Amidu & Owiredu, 2015). The clock measures one ingredient; intimacy is the whole meal. When “too quick” is actually premature ejaculation Now, I never wave away a real problem, so let me draw the
How Many Times Can You Masturbate in a Day? An Andrologist’s Honest Answer
Here’s the honest answer, straight away: there is no medically “correct” answer to how many times masturbation can be done in a day — and the once-occasional release will not damage your body, drain your testosterone or ruin your fertility. But as a practising andrologist, I do not recommend masturbation as a habit at all. The harm is not in the act; it is in the compulsion — the daily, guilt-laden, porn-driven loop that quietly wrecks real sex. I have sat with close to 9,000 men carrying this exact worry in my Chennai clinic, and almost none of them feel good about the habit. So let me give you the truth that neither the breezy “do it as much as you like” articles nor the fear-mongering “it drains your vitality” blogs will tell you — the honest, evidence-based, clinical answer. Talk to Dr Shah Quick Facts There is no medical daily limit. Your body sets no fixed quota; the right number depends entirely on whether the habit is harming your life, your mood or your partnered sex — not on a magic figure. It does not lower your testosterone. Ejaculation causes no lasting drop in testosterone — levels are essentially unchanged by how often you climax (Exton, 2001; Jiang, 2002). It does not destroy your fertility. Your body remakes sperm continuously; frequent ejaculation does not “use them up,” and in some men more frequent release actually improves sperm quality (Raditya, 2025; Xi, 2025; Clay, 2026). Frequent ejaculation is, if anything, protective for the prostate. Large cohort and meta-analytic data link a higher ejaculation frequency to a lower risk of prostate cancer, not a higher one (Rider, 2016; Jian, 2018). The real danger is compulsion, not frequency. When masturbation becomes a daily, porn-driven compulsion, it is linked to erectile difficulty, low partnered satisfaction and real distress (Park, 2016; Zacharopoulos, 2026). So how many times can masturbation be done in a day? Let me answer the exact question first, because it is the one you came here for. There is no fixed daily, weekly or monthly limit that your body imposes. No number — not five times a day, not once a week, not once a month — is a medical threshold that flips you from “safe” to “damaged.” Anyone who quotes you a precise figure is inventing it. How to tell if it’s a problem — judge the cost, not the count So how do you judge it? Not by counting, but by asking one question: is it costing you anything? If you are doing it once in a while, alone, with no guilt and no effect on your work, sleep, mood or sex life, it is not harming your body. If it has become something you do several times a day, reach for out of boredom or stress, feel guilty about, and which is starting to flatten your interest in real intimacy — then the number is beside the point. The habit itself is the problem. Here is the at-a-glance answer for the way most men ask it: Is there a daily masturbation limit? The honest answer in six points The honest answer What I mean by it No fixed number Your body sets no daily, weekly or monthly quota — no count flips you from “safe” to “damaged” Occasional is fine An occasional, private release now and then is not physically harmful, and no medical reason to fear it Depends on the person The right amount depends on your own life, mood and partnered sex — not on a magic figure Daily can dull sex Daily, porn-driven use conditions the brain and can flatten real intimacy, bringing on ED or PE Loss of control The warning sign is reaching for it several times a day and being unable to cut down Habit is the limit When it runs your day or replaces partnered sex, that habit — not a number — is the real limit My own position, as the doctor you are asking, is plain: I am not in the camp that cheerfully tells young men to masturbate as often as they please. I do not recommend it as a habit. But I refuse equally to lie to you that an occasional release is poisoning your blood or stealing your strength. Both of those messages do harm. The truth sits in between, and you deserve the truth. There is no fixed number — the line is compulsion, not a count. Is daily masturbation harmful? What the evidence actually says This is where the Indian health blogs do real damage, so let me be blunt and back every word with evidence. The classic fears about masturbation are myths, and carrying them only feeds the very anxiety that hurts you. The three big myths: testosterone, fertility and prostate It does not lower your testosterone. Careful endocrine studies show that ejaculation produces no meaningful or lasting fall in testosterone; your hormones are not being “spent” (Exton, 2001; Jiang, 2002). It does not destroy your fertility or “finish” your sperm — the testes manufacture sperm around the clock, and the research on ejaculation frequency shows that more frequent release does not wreck semen quality and can even improve it in men with poor parameters (Raditya, 2025; Xi, 2025; Clay, 2026). And far from harming the prostate, a higher lifetime ejaculation frequency is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer in the largest studies we have (Rider, 2016; Jian, 2018). Where the semen-loss fear really comes from So when you read that “masturbating 5 times a day will cause weakness, hair loss and infertility,” understand that this is folk fear dressed up as medicine — I debunk each of these one by one in my guide to masturbation side effects. It is the same false belief that drives Dhat syndrome — the conviction that losing semen drains your vital essence (Prakash, 2014; Kar, 2021). It does not — and it is the same misplaced fear that makes men panic over completely
How Often Should You Have Sex to Get Pregnant?
How often should you have sex to get pregnant? An andrologist’s guide: have sex every 1-2 days through your fertile window, why every-other-day wins, and why ‘saving up’ sperm doesn’t help.
Prone Masturbation: What It Is, Why It Harms & How to Stop
Prone masturbation can quietly cause delayed ejaculation and trouble with intercourse. An andrologist explains what it is, why it harms, and how to stop.
The Withdrawal Method of Contraception
Men’s Health Blogs The Withdrawal Method of Contraception The Withdrawal Method of Contraception – quick facts Vanakkam and welcome to Dr. Shah’s clinic. Have you ever heard of the withdrawal method of contraception? alias pull out technique?. Wish you a very happy new year and it’s been quite some time since I post my last video. In this short blog post, we are going to discuss the withdrawal method of contraception also called the withdrawal method of birth control. Watch the video below if you do not have the patience to read through the full article. I promise you, it will be worth it. Now the withdrawal method of contraception is also called as a pull-out method. So in the withdrawal method what usually men do is that just before the point of ejaculation or just before they hit their orgasm they pull out the organ from the vagina so that intra-vaginal ejaculation does not happen and thereby an unwanted pregnancy can be avoided. Now what’s very interesting here is that withdrawal or the pull-out method of contraception is probably the oldest contraception method that has been used since time memorial. It’s a biblical method it’s been around for so very long. Now, it’s important to understand here that the withdrawal method of contraception gives a contraception protection rate of almost 95% and there is a 5% failure rate even in this method. Now what this means is that the withdrawal method of contraception is as good as a condom, so basically if you are averse to using a condom that is if you wear a condom and you feel you lose your erection you are not able to connect with your partner, bond with your partner because you are wearing a bloody condom try the withdrawal method of contraception, it usually works. It’s amazing as a method, because you have a good connection with your partner from a psychological perspective but the only problem here is that you are not going to get an intravaginal ejaculation. It’s more of a male method of contraception what happens here is that your partner’s satisfaction is not going to be impacted. So basically you have to last long enough so that you can give your partner the orgasm and then pull out and then you have to ejaculate outside the vagina. Dr. Shah Dupesh Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist Ready to improve your Reproductive Health? Discuss your concerns in a private setting and get personalized guidance tailored to your needs. Book a Call Book a Call Furthermore, you don’t want to give your partner an unwanted pregnancy and that’s why the withdrawal method or the pull-out method is so good. Many men pride themselves in using the withdrawal method or pull-out method of contraception since to some extent it shows that the man has tremendous control over his ejaculation. The next important point is the partner will also respect you because you care for her you don’t want her to have an unwanted or an unintended pregnancy. So the withdrawal method or the pull-out method has a 95% protection rate which is almost as good as a condom but a 4% to 5% failure rate because sometimes the pre-lubricating fluid can have a small number of sperms and there are about 6 to 7 studies on the topic. Some studies say that the pre-lubricating fluid has no sperm at all. Subscribe to our Newsletter All said and done the best way to optimize the success of the method to pass urine after sexual intercourse. This will help wash off any residual sperm present in the male reproductive tract. If you masturbate in the previous day or you had sexual intercourse the previous day what you should do is you should urinate flush your urinary system off any residues and then have sexual intercourse and then adopt the withdrawal method during the particular session. So this will lower diminish or completely remove the chances of unwanted pregnancy so even if a small amount of pre-lubricating fluid deposits in the vagina the chance of pregnancy is going to be very less. I hope you found this video quite informative and useful on this withdrawal method of contraception also the pull-out method of contraception. This is Dr Shah consultant sexologist in chennai, keep watching this space for more interesting articles References https://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/abs/pii/ S001078241400208X Related Blogs Recent Blogs Having more doubts? Consult with our doctor Consult with Dr. Shah Leave Your Comment Cancel Reply Logged in as Dr Shah Dupesh. Log out? Δ
Why Is My Semen Green? An Andrologist Explains
A worried man in a reassuring private consultation with a calm male andrologist in a warm clinic Why is my semen green? Most often, green or greenish semen is a sign of infection in the male reproductive or urinary tract — commonly prostatitis or a sexually transmitted infection such as gonorrhea — rather than something harmless. It is usually treatable, but if you also have pain, burning, foul smell or fever, please see a doctor promptly (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). Let me answer this the way I do almost every week in my clinic, when a worried man sits across from me and quietly says, “Doctor, my semen looked green — is something seriously wrong with me?” (Some men describe it as “green sperm,” though it is really the seminal fluid, not the sperm cells, that has changed colour.) First, take a breath. Noticing a colour change like this is alarming, and it is sensible that it brought you here. But I am not going to do what some articles do and simply tell you to “relax and ignore it.” That would be poor medicine. Green semen is one of the few colour changes that genuinely deserves attention, because the most likely explanation is an infection — and infections are easy to treat once we find them, but not safe to ignore. So let me walk you through exactly what greenish ejaculate means, what is probably causing it, and the clear signs that mean you should come in. Quick facts Normal semen is a whitish-grey, jelly-like fluid; its colour can shift slightly with diet, age and how long it has been since you last ejaculated (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). A yellow-green or bright green tint most often points to infection — prostatitis or a sexually transmitted infection — frequently alongside burning when you pass urine (Medical News Today, 2024; Healthline, 2026). STIs most associated with a green or yellow-green tint are gonorrhea and chlamydia (Medical News Today, 2024; Healthline, 2026). Excess white blood cells in semen — pyospermia (leukocytospermia) — can accompany infection and can harm sperm; the WHO threshold is more than 1 million peroxidase-positive leukocytes per millilitre (WHO, 2021). Green or foul-smelling semen with fever, pelvic pain, or pain/burning on urinating or ejaculating warrants prompt evaluation — not reassurance to ignore it (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). Here is something I want to correct straight away, because the older version of this very article said it. It is sometimes claimed that a “liver problem” or bilirubin turns semen green. In practice, jaundice and liver-related pigments are associated with a yellow tint, not a true green. When semen looks genuinely green, the explanation that matters clinically is infection. Let me explain the real causes. Green semen at a glance: usually an infection, get tested don’t guess, watch for pain or fever, often treatable What causes green or greenish semen? 1. Infection of the prostate or seminal tract (the most common reason) The prostate and seminal vesicles produce most of the fluid in your ejaculate. When they become infected or inflamed — prostatitis or seminal vesiculitis — pus and white blood cells mix into the semen and can give it a yellow-green, sometimes foul-smelling appearance (Medical News Today, 2024; Healthline, 2026). In my clinic this is the single commonest reason a man notices a green tinge, and it usually comes with a clue: a burning sensation while passing urine, a heavy ache in the pelvis or perineum, or discomfort on ejaculation (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). 2. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Green or yellow-green semen, especially after unprotected sex, can be a sign of an STI. Gonorrhea is the classic culprit and can produce a thick, greenish urethral discharge that colours the ejaculate; chlamydia is also linked to a yellow-green tint (Medical News Today, 2024; Healthline, 2026). Many STIs are silent in men, so colour change may be your only warning. If there is any chance of exposure, testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia is the responsible next step — a single NAAT swab or urine test screens for both (CDC, 2021). Other genital-tract infections — including genital herpes (HSV-2) — can drive inflammation and raise the white-cell count in semen (pyospermia) without specifically turning it green; the green tint itself points more to gonorrhea, chlamydia or prostatitis (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). 3. Pyospermia / leukocytospermia (too many white blood cells) When your body fights infection in the reproductive tract, it floods the area with white blood cells. An abnormally high count of these in semen is called pyospermia, or leukocytospermia. The WHO defines it as more than 1 million peroxidase-positive leukocytes per millilitre of semen (WHO, 2021). These cells release reactive oxygen species — useful against germs, but they can also damage your sperm and their DNA, which is why pyospermia matters if you are trying to conceive (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). A semen analysis will pick this up. 4. Medications, supplements and certain foods Not every colour change is sinister. Certain foods, spices, vitamins and supplements — and the metabolites of some medications — can be reflected in seminal fluid and lend a yellowish tinge (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). In my experience these dietary causes tint toward yellow rather than a true green, and any such change is usually mild, comes without any pain or smell, and settles once you stop the supplement or food. 5. Rarely, dyes or contamination Very occasionally a harmless dye, lubricant residue or external contamination explains an odd colour — a diagnosis of exclusion I reach only after infection has been ruled out (see the table below). Green semen: cause vs. what you might notice Likely cause Typical colour Accompanying signs What it usually means Prostatitis / seminal tract infection Yellow-green, may smell foul Burning urine, pelvic/perineal ache, painful ejaculation Needs urine + semen culture; antibiotics STI (gonorrhea, chlamydia) Yellow-green, sometimes with discharge Discharge, burning, recent unprotected sex Needs STI testing (gonorrhea + chlamydia NAAT) Pyospermia / leukocytospermia Yellowish to green Often none; may affect fertility Found on semen analysis; treat underlying
Is a curved penis normal? How much curve is too much?
Most curves are normal – the great majority of men I see walk out reassured, not treated. A quick, honest answer from Dr Shah Dupesh, MBBS — consultant Andrologist & Sexologist, Chennai. Last updated and medically reviewed July 2026, against current AUA and EAU guidance. Is a curved penis normal? For most men, yes — almost always. Many men have some natural bend, and a curve in the commonly cited 5-to-30-degree range, in any direction — up, down, left or right — needs no treatment at all if it is painless, stable, and does not get in the way of sex. In one large population study, roughly 1 in 5 men (about 19%) reported a visible curve, and most were mild (Chung, 2018). A curve only becomes a medical problem — most often a condition called Peyronie’s disease — when it is greater than about 30 degrees, painful, newly changing, or comes with a hard lump you can feel. So if you have gazed down and noticed your penis leans one way, take a breath. In my clinic, this is one of the single most common worries men bring me, and the great majority walk out reassured rather than treated. This guide tells you exactly where the line is — what is normal, how to measure it honestly, when to see a specialist, and every treatment that genuinely works if you do cross that line. If you only read one thing here, read this – the essentials at a glance, before we go deeper. In a nutshell Curved penis at a glance 1 A curve is common. About 1 in 5 men (19%) report a visible curve, and most are mild – a straight penis is still the norm, but a slight bend is completely normal. 2 Roughly 5-30° is the normal zone. If it is painless, stable and sex works, no treatment is needed – a clinical threshold, not a defect. 3 Over ~30°, painful, a lump, or newly changing = get assessed. This is the pattern of Peyronie’s disease. 4 Peyronie’s is not rare – roughly 0.5%-13% of men, most often in the 50s-60s but sometimes earlier. 5 It rarely straightens on its own. An early, untreated Peyronie’s curve improves in only ~12% and worsens in nearly half. 6 Real treatments exist – traction, collagenase injections and surgery all straighten curves. Oral cures and exercises do not. Is a curved penis normal? Let me be direct, because this is the question that keeps men awake at night: yes, in the overwhelming majority of cases, a curved penis is completely normal. The penis is not a straight steel rod; it is a paired erectile organ, and small differences in how the two chambers (the corpora cavernosa) and their surrounding sheath (the tunica albuginea) fill and stretch will tip an erection slightly one way. That is anatomy, not disease. When Chung and colleagues surveyed nearly 1,800 men aged 35–75, about 19% reported some curve, and only around a third of those described it as 30 degrees or more (Chung, 2018). In other words, a mild bend is one of the most ordinary things about the male body. What counts as “normal”? There is an important nuance most websites get wrong, so I want you to hear it from a clinician: no measurement study has ever defined a precise “normal number of degrees.” The commonly quoted “up to about 30 degrees is fine” is a clinical and guideline threshold — the point below which urologists agree a curve almost never needs fixing — not a statistical average. What actually matters is the trio I use in clinic: is it painless, is it stable (not changing month to month), and does sex work comfortably for you and your partner? If the answer to all three is yes, the exact number barely matters — the same reassurance I give men worried about penis size. Which way can it curve — up, down, left, or “C-shaped”? Any direction is possible and can be normal. An upward curve is the most talked-about; downward, sideways (left or right), and even a gentle C-shape are all seen. A slight upward tilt is so common that many partners never register it as unusual at all. Kya ling ka tedha hona normal hai? (Is a bent penis normal?) Haan — thoda tedhapan bilkul normal hai. In my Chennai practice a great many men ask “ling kitna teda hona chahiye?” (how much bend is acceptable) and “ling tedha kyon hota hai?” (why does it bend at all). The honest answers: a curve is usually either present from birth (congenital) or develops later from an injury or Peyronie’s; and a mild, painless, stable curve needs no ilaj (treatment) at all. It is only when the bend is severe, painful, or suddenly increasing that you should see an andrologist. How much curve is too much? The degree framework Here is the single most useful thing in this article — a clear ladder that tells you where your curve sits. This reconciles the numbers you will see quoted everywhere into one honest framework, built from the AUA and EAU guidelines (Nehra, 2015; Hatzimouratidis, 2012). Where your curve sits – and what it means. Curve What it usually means What to do ~5-30° Normal variation, if painless, stable and sex is fine Reassurance – no treatment needed Over ~30° Worth assessing; may be early/mild Peyronie’s; the treatment threshold See an andrologist; medical options open here Over ~60° Significant curve; grafting-type surgery is typical, though a stable 60-90° curve with good erections may try collagenase or traction first Specialist assessment ≥90° (severe) Frequently prevents intercourse Strong surgical candidate One important caveat: these bands describe an acquired curve (Peyronie’s disease). A stable, lifelong curve of the same number of degrees is usually congenital — not a disease — and is judged on whether it interferes with sex, not on degrees alone. Two caveats I always add. First, degrees are not the whole story — a
Sperm Leakage in Urine: Why It Happens & How to Stop It
Here’s the honest answer, straight away: in most men, sperm in the urine after sex or masturbation is completely harmless — leftover semen sitting in the urethra simply washes out with your next urine. The medical word for it is spermaturia, and on its own it is a finding, not a disease. True, persistent leakage points to retrograde ejaculation, diabetes, or a medication you are taking — and every one of those is treatable. As a practising andrologist in Chennai, I see this every week: the man who texts me a photo of his cloudy first urine at 6 a.m., certain that “sperm coming out with urine” means his fertility has drained away overnight. Let me explain what’s actually happening, because in roughly 8 out of 10 of the men I examine there is no disease at all. So for the few who do need treatment, my fix is usually tablets, not surgery. Book a Consultation Quick Facts Sperm in the urine after ejaculating is common and usually normal — it shows up in the post-sex urine of about 73% of proven-fertile men [2]. The commonest cause is simply passing urine soon after sex — the urine washes leftover semen out of the shared urethra. Not a disease. A one-off “sperm seen” on a routine urine test is usually just recent ejaculation — in a 5,005-man hospital review, sperm appeared in only 1.6% of routine urine samples [1]. Persistent, true leakage is most often retrograde ejaculation — semen pushed backward into the bladder by diabetes, alpha-blockers like tamsulosin, or prostate surgery [3][5][6]. Most respond to oral medication — combining bladder-neck tablets restored forward ejaculation in about 6 in 10 men with complete retrograde ejaculation in one diabetic series [4]. Is sperm leaking with urine normal? For most men I see, yes. After you ejaculate, a little semen stays behind, coating the urethra — the single tube that carries both semen and urine. So the next time you pass urine, it flushes that leftover semen out, and your first urine after sex can look cloudy. I call that washout, not a leak. In fact, when researchers measured it, sperm turned up in the post-ejaculatory urine of 73% of proven-fertile men — no different from the men being investigated for infertility [2]. So I tell my patients plainly: sperm in your urine after sex is normal plumbing, not a disease. Leftover semen sits in the shared urethra after sex and simply rinses out with your next urine — the harmless washout. Worried about sperm in your urine? Talk to Dr Shah today. Book a Call Sperm in a urinalysis report: what “spermatozoa seen” means A lot of men reach me not because of cloudy urine, but because a routine urine test for a master health check or a UTI came back saying “spermatozoa present” or “sperm cells seen,” and the word sperm on a lab report frightened them. Let me settle it: a one-off finding after recent sex is almost always harmless. In a hospital review of 5,005 men, sperm showed up in just 1.6% of routine urine samples — and when it did, the strongest links were to recent ejaculation and, in persistent cases, to the very factors behind retrograde ejaculation: diabetes, alpha-blocker tablets, and previous prostate surgery [1]. So here is how I read it: in nearly every man, you ejaculated — through sex, masturbation, or a nightfall — within a day or so of giving the sample, and a few leftover sperm rode out in the urine. The lab simply reports what it sees down the microscope. A single “spermatozoa seen” after recent sex does not mean an infection, cancer, or an infertility problem. If you want to understand the rest of the numbers on a fertility report, I walk through them in plain English in my guide to reading a semen analysis line by line. The one time sperm on a urinalysis genuinely matters is when it keeps recurring or appears alongside a dry orgasm — and I will come to that. Why does sperm come out automatically with urine? This is the question I get asked most: “sperm comes out automatically with urine” — without sex, without masturbation. Let me explain what’s actually happening, because it frightens men more than it should. Your testes and epididymis are always making and storing sperm. That store is not unlimited — when it fills and is not emptied for several days, your body releases the excess on its own. In the sexually inactive men I see, this overflow most often shows up as nightfall, and the residue appears in the morning’s first urine. So the men who abstain longest are the very ones who notice “automatic” sperm in their urine. So I reassure them this is the body doing exactly what it is built to do — not weakness, not a leak, not fertility draining away. The sperm is constantly replaced, and this overnight release is a healthy self-regulating system. If you feel tired, foggy or “weak” alongside it, that exhaustion is almost never the lost fluid — it is the worry. That cycle of anxiety about losing semen has a name in our part of the world, and I explain it fully in my piece on Dhat syndrome and feeling sexually weak. Why semen comes out when I strain on the toilet A very common Indian search is “sperm comes out during potty” or while straining at stool — and it understandably alarms men, who assume they are leaking their fertility into the toilet. Almost always, they are not. When you bear down hard, the pressure can squeeze a few drops of fluid from the prostate and the glands around the urethra. This is usually thin, clear-to-whitish prostatic fluid, not a full ejaculate — the old name for it is prostatorrhea. The same thing can produce a drop or two at the end of passing urine. It is harmless, it does not drain your strength, and it needs
Semen Culture & Sensitivity – When to do & when not to?
Men’s Health Blogs Semen Culture & Sensitivity When to do & when not to? Vanakkam namaste and welcome to Dr. Shah’s Clinic, my name is Dr shah, and I am a Consultant Andrologist. In this blog post, I am going to answer 2 Cardinal questions on semen culture and sensitivity that I commonly hear from my patients. The first question, when you should not do a semen culture and sensitivity? The second question, when you should do a semen culture and sensitivity testing? So at the outset, we must understand that semen is basically made out of fluid contributed from different body organs. These are namely, prostate, the seminal vesicles, the testis and lastly epididymal fluid. And all these fluids in different parts of the male reproductive tract mix and come out through a common pathway that is the penile urethra. (the same path through which urine also flows) So it is not surprising to see bacterial growth in semen when a routine semen culture and sensitivity testing is done for male factor infertility patients. A number of fertility doctors and infertility experts routinely recommend patients to take a semen culture and sensitivity testing, when they come to the clinic for an infertility evaluation. However, large scale professional societies and scientific publications. have clearly suggested that routine testing of semen culture and sensitivity is not required. Moreover, these recommendations seem exceedingly sensible because when semen culture and sensitivity are ordered, the primary assumption is that bacterial growth in the semen affects sperm parameters. So, what eventually happens is that on doing the test we tend to culture bacteria that may be commensal by nature ( a commensal organism is an organism that is found normally in the particular body area or fluid). Since there are commensal organisms in the urine, it’s not surprising to find the growth of organisms in the semen. Some common organisms that are cultured include Streptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, E. coli, and Staphylococcus. Doctors then tend to put patients on 1 month or 2 months of antibiotic therapy. The joke though is that antibiotic therapy in itself can lead to low sperm motility. Not just that, close to over 250 to 300 medications have been associated with lower sperm quality. Indiscriminate medical therapy can definitely impair male fertility potential. Sadly a large number of Specialists seem to forget this fact when treating patients with male factor infertility. Dr. Shah Dupesh Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist Ready to improve your Reproductive Health? Discuss your concerns in a private setting and get personalized guidance tailored to your needs. Book a Call Book a Call So, should a semen culture be done routinely for all patients? The answer is definitely no A simple semen analysis is usually more than adequate. Also, should seminal infections be treated with antibiotics routinely? here again, the answer is no However, when should a semen culture and sensitivity be done for all patients? Only if the patient has clinical symptoms like burning sensation while passing urine, fever pain during ejaculation, and lastly blood in the semen. Moreover, this is because the patient might have had sexual exposure with an unstable partner or multiple partners. Visiting a sexologist makes sense! Furthermore, we also know that some sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia and Gonorrhea need active treatment because they severely impact male fertility if left untreated. There are also numerous other infections that can cause permanent testicular damage Subscribe to our Newsletter So in all patients where there are clinical symptoms semen culture and sensitivity is definitely recommended. Another bonus fact is that some studies have looked at the bacterial growth in the semen of both fertile men as well as infertile men. What they have found is that no specific organism could be associated with impaired sperm parameters. The truth is the function of most of these bacteria in semen remains to be discovered. There are approximately 10 ^ 7 bacteria per ml of semen. That means there are more bacteria than sperm in the semen. Most importantly, the association between male factor infertility and the growth of commensal organisms in the semen has not been established in the pathogenesis of male factor infertility. To re-emphasize the take-home points today are Routine semen culture sensitivity is not required for all patients Antibiotic treatment for commensal organism growth in semen is not required Semen culture and sensitivity only required for patients with clinical symptoms of urinary tract infection I hope you enjoyed reading this short blog post. Keep watching this space for more please share this article with all your friends and loved ones. This is Dr. Shah, Consultant Andrologist in Chennai. Wishing you a happy and prosperous health References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC4567295/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/21726934 Related Blogs Recent Blogs Having more doubts? Consult with our doctor Consult with Dr. Shah Leave Your Comment Cancel Reply Logged in as Dr Shah Dupesh. Log out? Δ
How To Increase Sperm Motility Fast ?
Men’s Health Blogs How To Increase Sperm Motility Fast ? So, if you are on this page, you are probably looking quick tips on ‘how to increase sperm motility fast’. I mean, really fast. This is Dr. Shahconsultant andrologist and sexologist. In this post, I am going to share with you some foods for healthy sperm motility, that you can take today!. The truth is, the medical industry is flooded with medicines to increase sperm count and motility. However, the truth is most of these medicines for sperm motility do not actually work. Moreover, some medicines for sperm motility actually lowers the overall motile sperm percentage. Thus, if you are trying to improve sperm count or sperm motility, following the right treatment strategies is a must. But before we discuss the tips, let’s try to understand a bit about normal sperm motility What is normal sperm motility? The normal sperm motility as estimated by the WHO from a large cohort of fertile fathers falls in the range of 31% to 36%. Now, remember this is a range, and moreover, this does not mean that fathers with values lesser than 31% cant have babies. What this essentially means is that the time to pregnancy may take slightly longer. That’s about it!. Thus, for all practical purposes, if the measured sperm motility is equal to or greater than 32%, then the sperm motility is considered to be normal. Now, what actually causes low sperm motility?. We will answer that below What causes low sperm motility? Low sperm count and motility are vexing issues. Moreover, they technically impair or reduce the chances of pregnancies occurring naturally. Common causes of low sperm motility include. While, some are correctable causes of male infertility, some others are much harder to treat. Oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species Lack of sleep Smoking and Alcohol abuse Medications like antibiotics and host of other prescription drugs Lifestyle factors and morbid obesity Testicular infection and testicular trauma Hormonal deficits and imbalances Genetic causes Therefore, treatment strategies of course ultimately depend on the cause. Now, let’s answer the crucial question on how to increase sperm motility fast? Dr. Shah Dupesh Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist Ready to improve your Reproductive Health? Discuss your concerns in a private setting and get personalized guidance tailored to your needs. Book a Call Book a Call Tip 1 – Get 8 hours of sound sleep In a Danish study of 953 men, a significant association between sleep disturbances and semen quality was found. Men with less than 7 to 8 hours of peaceful sleep reported reduced sperm count and also reduced the production of morphologically normal sperm. Hit the bed on time and definitely sleep for about 8 hours minimum to improve sperm motility fast. Avoid working late into the night. Tip 2 – Reduce Alcohol or better STOP it altogether In an interesting study done on over 67 men, ethanol was added to the semen. What these researchers found was that, on adding alcohol to semen, sperm tail defects started appearing and moreover, sperm shape abnormalities also occurred. Furthermore, sperm velocity significantly decreased. Want to know how to increase sperm motility fast? Quit alcohol. Simple. Moreover, alcohol intake is also strongly associated with erectile dysfunction and a host of other sexual health problems. Tip 3 – Stop Smoking. Its not worth it I have been a practicing andrologist and sexologist for a very long time. I get patients who frequently tell me that they smoke just 1 cigarette a day. Moreover, they tell me that it’s very very less. Not just that, they all seem to have a bunch of smoker friends who had absolutely no problems with fathering a child. The truth, is different. Smoking impairs sperm motility and sperm DNA integrity. It’s also bad for your heart and lungs. Didn’t you see it in the movies? A reminder below A recent study has found that sub-fertile smoking men frequently have lower sperm count, sperm motility, morphology, and lastly poorer sperm DNA integrity. Quit smoking if you are trying for a child. Tip 4: – Optimize your body weight The thing is… if you are trying for a child, you definitely need to lose those extra kilos. However, losing weight is not guaranteed to improve sperm motility, it is something you should definitely try. Since your overall health is a marker of the health of your sperm. At our clinic, from our own experience, we have seen numerous patients who have had a significant improvement in sperm motility after losing just 10% of their body weight. Try to target a BMI within 25kg/meter squared. It’s worth it!. A recent study also suggest that weight loss improves sperm’s overall DNA integrity. Tip 5:- Lower Stress with Exercise Studies have clearly suggested that, with stress, the body’s cortisol secretion goes up. Consequently, testosterone production falls. Since testosterone is a key hormone important for healthy sperm production, keeping your stress levels low is highly critical for improving sperm motility Tip 6:- Reduce Carbohydrate Intake One of the best ways to quickly improve sperm count and motility is to reduce the overall carbohydrate intake from your diet. Take lots of proteins and fats. Since, increased intake of carbohydrates is associated with the generation of advanced glycemic end products (AGE). Consequently, AGE are potent oxidative entities and can destroy the sperms plasma membrane. Thus, one of the most potent ways to increase sperm motility rapidly is to reduce overall carbohydrate intake. Aviod added sugar, milk and white rice were possible. Tip 7:- Avoid all sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB’s) A study done at the University of Rochester suggests on men found that in individuals were the overall intake of sweet beverages was more than >1.3 per day, sperm parameters were impaired. Reducing the intake of SSB can drastically improve sperm count and motility. There is one more bonus tip and this is really important. Read on below Subscribe to our Newsletter BONUS TIP 8 ON HOW TO INCREASE SPERM MOTILITY FAST Take folic acid!. at least 3 times a day. Folate is a proven