Sperm survival time varies significantly depending on the environment:
- Inside the female reproductive tract: Sperm can live for about 3 to 5 days, with some reports suggesting up to a week in the cervix under optimal conditions. This survival is supported by cervical mucus that protects sperm and facilitates their movement toward the fallopian tubes where fertilization occurs
. The fertile window includes the five days leading up to and including ovulation because sperm can remain viable during this time
- Inside the testes: Sperm are produced continuously, taking about 75 days to develop, and can live for several months inside the testes before ejaculation
- Outside the body: Sperm survival is much shorter. They typically live only minutes to an hour outside the body once semen dries, depending on conditions like moisture and temperature. In warm, moist environments like water without chemicals, sperm might survive a few minutes, but pregnancy from such exposure is extremely unlikely
- Frozen sperm: When properly cryopreserved at very low temperatures (around -196°C), sperm can survive indefinitely, with storage times legally allowed up to decades in sperm banks
- Washed sperm (used in fertility treatments): Washed sperm can live for 24 to 72 hours in controlled laboratory conditions, but their quality decreases significantly after 24 hours
In summary, sperm can survive up to 5 days inside a woman's reproductive system, which is critical for timing conception, but outside the body, their survival drops to minutes or hours depending on conditions
