Sperm

  How long does sperm live in the woman's vagina?

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Dear Jennifer:
Sperms live for only a short time (hours) in the vagina because the acidity quickly kills sperm.
Sperms are released in a fluid that neutralizes the acid and allow time for them to swim into the cervical mucus which is a more supportive chemistry. Moving sperm can be found for at least 2 days and non-moving sperm can be found after many days, perhaps one week.
Sperms quickly move into the uterus and fallopian tubes: here they are again in a supportive environment and are capable of fertilizing an egg for at least two days.
I assume your question is an attempt to understand how often to have intercourse to maximize attempts at pregnancy: every two days; or to understand how long after intercourse pregnancy is possible: 2 days is the ususal answer. There are reports of women who have conceived a week after isolated intercourse, but such happenings are clear exceptions.
Keywords: sperm, how long they live
This information is provided for education purposes and is not a medical consultation. If you have specific questions, please speak with your healthcare provider.