Interesting facts about semen

It's a misconception that semen and sperm are one and the same. Sperm cells are a part of semen, the whitish fluid.

Here are 10 other things about them you probably didn't know about.

1. There's such a thing such as semen allergy

This happens when you're intolerant to the proteins in semen.

According to WebMD, Dr David J. Resnick, acting director of the allergy division of New York Presbyterian Hospital, revealed at a conference that there are two types of cures for such an allergy.

The woman can receive shots of her partner's semen in small amounts, or the couple has to have sex frequently - but only in tandem with the doctor's treatment, where a small amount of the man's semen is inserted into her vagina, increasing quantities over a few hours.

2. Sperm dies as semen dries

Once the semen is dried, there's little chance that a sperm would survive.

But that doesn't mean you should continue rutting on dried semen on the sheets just because you're too lazy to change them!

3. There's more to semen than just sperms

Sperms only make up one to two per cent of semen.

The rest? Proteins, vitamins and minerals.

This is why a decrease in amount of ejaculation can affect your chances of getting pregnant as it affects the flow of sperms to the fallopian tubes.

4. Semen can tell you a lot about a person

A semen analysis can give insights into a man's fertility problems, or whether a vasectomy, or its reversal, is successful.

5. Semen won't clog your drains

Research from Harvard Medical School showed that semen turns into a runny liquid after about half an hour so it won't clog your drain.

6. The amount varies from man to man

Various reports state that the average volume of semen a man ejaculates is at least 1.5ml and can go up to 5ml.

7. It's low in calories

Semen contains about five to seven calories.

8. A vasectomy won't change the volume of ejaculation

The only difference? His semen won't contain sperms.

9. Semen can be used in cooking

In fact, there's even a recipe book dedicated to this. If you're brave enough to try, you know what to order on Amazon.

10. It's not clear if food affects its taste

There's a debate on whether the type of food your man eats will affect the taste of his semen.

While some claim that consuming foods like pineapples make their partners semen sweeter, other researchers were quick to refute the claims.

A version of this story first appeared on the CLEO Singapore website.