What Happens To Sperm When It Is Not Released For A While?
Published: October 16, 2020 · Last reviewed on this site: 2026-10-30
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The question
Dear TeenHealthFX,
What happens to semen when it's not released for a while? Can it go bad? Can it be unhealthy to put "old" sperm into woman's body or to swallow it? How often does it regenerates in testicles? Is the taste significantly different? Thanks
Signed: TeenHealthFX
The answer
Believe it or not, nothing negative happens. The male body just reabsorbs the sperm cells. In fact, sperm cells are made every single day and do not go bad. [Healthline explains the sperm cycle is called spermatogenesis and several million new sperm cells are made every single day. Since sperm “do not go bad” you wouldn’t need to worry about it being unhealthy to anyone else. Also, there is no effect on your sex drive or fertility later on.
We hope this helps answer your question!