Some of you have been asking me lately if it’s
safe to swallow sperm. The brief answer is “yes,
but…”, there are exceptions. And the long
answer is coming now. My name is Helena Nista,
I am a sex therapist and a tantra practitioner.
And this is the place where I answer all of your
questions about sex. So you might have heard
before that semen is rich in different nutrients
and minerals. And that is true. It contains small
amounts of sugars, calcium, sodium, potassium,
magnesium, lactic acid and proteins among other
elements. All of the ingredients in semen are
safe and when swallowed they will be digested just
like any other food. However, if you’re hoping to
get your daily dose of protein from ingesting
semen you’ll be disappointed because protein
is only about 5% of the entire ejaculate. So you
would have to consume a lot of it to really, for
that protein to really make a difference in your
system. And if you’re concerned about calories,
there isn’t much to worry about. An average
ejaculate contains between 5 and 15 calories
which is equivalent to about a stick of gum. When
it comes to the taste of semen, of the ejaculate,
it really varies between, you know, different
people and depends on who you ask. A lot of
people report that it tastes salty and bitter.
But to others it’s more of a sweet taste. And it
might have a lot to do with the taste buds of the
person actually doing the swallowing. But I would
think that it has more to do with overall health
and diet of the men producing the semen. However,
having said that, there is no actual proof that
a particular diet will affect the taste of the
semen in any way. The only evidence we actually
have is more anecdotal then scientific in nature
so we don’t know for sure. But it does seem that
the diet rich in fruit and vegetables, and whole
grains can contribute to a better taste, while
a diet full of processed foods and cigarettes,
and coffee, and alcohol can contribute to more
of a bitter taste. If you’re prone to anxiety,
stress or depression, there is some evidence
that suggests that semen could act as an
anti-depressant and a mood booster. There was
this very interesting study conducted back in
2002 which showed that women who were exposed,
directly exposed to semen, without any barrier,
without a condom, so they were exposed to semen
on a regular basis – they showed fewer signs of
depression and they seemed to be in a much better
mood than the ladies who weren’t exposed to semen
on that same kind of basis. This definitely sounds
interesting and like a lovely side effect of
swallowing semen. But we do need more research
in this area. There’s also this connected idea
that semen could act as stress relief because it
contains oxytocin and progesterone and both of
these hormones are known for their mood boosting
qualities. And if all of that convinced you
sufficiently that swallowing semen is a great and
safe idea, let’s have a look at the risks. First
of all, there are the STI’s. If your partner –
the gentleman who is producing the semen – is a
carrier of an STI, that STI could be transferred
to you through the oral sex contact and through
the act of you swallowing the sperm. So the
bacterial infections like gonorrhea or chlamydia
could actually affect your throat. And if your
partner is the carrier of the herpes virus,
that also can be transferred to you through the
skin to skin contact. So before you even consider
giving your partner oral sex or swallowing
his semen, make sure to have a conversation
first – when was the last time both of you were
tested for STI’s and whether there is something
that you should be aware of or worried about, and
hence take certain precautions. Another risk when
it comes to swallowing semen comes from the fact
that certain people are actually allergic to it.
This condition is called human seminal plasma
hypersensitivity and it is fortunately extremely
rare. This is something to be aware of just in
case you find yourself having an allergic reaction
after swallowing semen. The symptoms might
include pain, itching, swelling, redness, hives or
difficulty breathing. So if that happens to you,
definitely make sure to see a doctor, especially
if you’re experiencing difficulty breathing or if
you’re having any kind of severe reaction. But in
conclusion – if you are not allergic to semen and
both you and your partner have been tested and you
are free of any STI’s, yes, swallowing semen is
perfectly safe. And if you’d like to figure out
whether swallowing or spitting is the right option
for you, make sure to watch this video next!
