Development of Sperm Explained By Male Fertility Expert Dr. Bastuba

Dr. Bastuba explains how long it takes to make sperm and where they are stored.

Dr. Bastuba:Well it takes sperm about, at least most people feel that it takes sperm about 70 to 80 days to go through it’s development process, changing from these stem cells into the end cells known as spermatozoa or just sperms – the little guys with heads, mid-pieces and tails – they swim around. They are only cell in the body that is unattached and actually is able to move and it’s really a fascinating cell.

These cells, they take 70 to 80 days to develop. Once they are developed they have a finite amount of time they last, but it’s a pretty significant period of time. What happens though is that once they are developed, they are stored in the seminal vesicle area. These organs are little glands – hollow glands near the prostate gland in the male that stores sperm. When a male ejaculates or squirts the fluid out of the tip of his penis these glands contract and help to move the fluid along.

So what we really want to look at is how long do sperms stay healthy in those seminal vesicle glands? And again, what we typically recommend is about two to five days of abstinence before we ask a male to give us a specimen for a semen analysis. This is the study where we actually look at the sperms, look at their shape, how are they swimming around and get much information about the male’s ejaculate, the quality and quantity of it. And so, my recommendation again is two to five days is optimal in terms of sperm health and when we are going to be ejaculating.

About Dr. Martin D. Bastuba:
As San Diego's leading subspecialist in male fertility and male and female sexual dysfunction issues, Dr. Martin Bastuba gives hope to couples who have been unable to conceive, and to men and women who are experiencing the anxieties and frustration of sexual dysfunction. He offers complete diagnosis, treatment, prevention techniques and education for his patients.