A question about sperm

[winkle2]

What happens to the sperm that DOESN'T fertilise an egg?

ie, where does it go?

[realhousewifeofdevoncounty]

It just dies and gets gobbled up by your immune cells, e.g. Macrophages and stuff. Same as any other cell that dies in your body.

[margerykemp]

I'd imagine the remains of some comes out in your period?

[realhousewifeofdevoncounty]

Only what has just recently ben put there will come out it your period! Seriously, it will just get broken down quite quickly. We inhale and ingest other foreign material all the time. It will either get broken down by immune cells or swept away some other way quite quickly. Gravity and cervical/vaginal mucous may help things along to I guess. It won't hang around too long, though I have seen sperm cells on vaginal swabs taken from women at a gum clinic!

[winkle2]

Ok thanks! Was just wondering!

[mrsmellow]

And they can be seen on mouth swabs too right - or is that just urban legend!
There aren't many threads where I see someone mention a macrophage...

[realhousewifeofdevoncounty]

Spose there's no reason why not if you can see them on a vagina swab! (that's underneath a microscope btw, not just on close inspection! )