Does saliva really kill sperm?

[Melanieanne77]

Does saliva really kill sperm??

How have I not heard this before??

So literally, oral sex before bd'ing is a no no?

Has anyone gotten pregnant after oral sex and then bd'ing?? Surely saliva isnt that potent...is it???

 

[Photogmommy]

It does, I think if your using Saliva as lubercant it can kill sperm. Unless your hubbs is spitting in there i wouldnt think it would get in there to hurt the sperm. If your doing it to him just wipe his member off before bd'ing

 

[nic18]

i've heard this too, not sure if its true or not but i'd say no oral during 'baby making week' if your worried speak to ur doctor x

 

[PinkRuby]

really??? ive never heard this before....

 

[Melanieanne77]

Yeah! Im glad Im not the only one who didnt know about this!

I only read it somewhere this month...

 

[mandy_grovie1]

I seriously doubt it would. I mean seriously, it's saliva. It's not freakin' acid or spermicide lol... I do not know where people come up with this stuff.

 

[Erin418]

I seriously doubt it would. I mean seriously, it's saliva. It's not freakin' acid or spermicide lol... I do not know where people come up with this stuff.

It's science! There are enzymes in saliva that are harmful to sperm. Also, sperm need a certain pH level to survive and saliva interferes with that. Even water can cause osmotic shock.

 

[Lans]

It sure does! I was rather shocked when I found out also!!

 

[Halliwell]

Yeh I didnt find out until the day after I ovulated and then I was like but thats what we did before hand.. So now I dont know whether to be even more disheartened that I may have ruined our chances this month... but atleast I will know for next month!

 

[Fizzyfefe]

Ladies, can any of you provide research or evidence regarding whether or not it is harmful? I've been looking on the US National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health website and cannot find any studies regarding this topic, and I'd hate for all of us to assume something that could potentially be or not be true.

 

[Halliwell]

I cant really find any proper medical pages I did find this though https://www.seattleivf.com/semen_analysis.html but thats for IVF... :/ It would be good to find out so we dont stress!

 

[babyluv2012]

Found Something! This is from a Doctor who was answering questions. I don't think Saliva can affect sperm that much. Personally, if I'm not aroused then there won't be any CM for the sperm to swim in, so for me oral is a must prior to my OH going inside of me. (sorry TMI) And its not like its on the inside of me just the outside. Hope this helps

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=54671

 

[optimistic1]

Let me shed some hope...I gave my boyfriend oral sex every time before bding the cycle that I got bfp. It did not affect our chances or kill his sperm. Im almost 8 weeks pregnant. Don't worry about saliva and Google lies alot. Ask a doctor in person and see what they say.

 

[chelsealynnb]

It's true, it does. BUT - my DH always uses saliva as a lubricant because I'm allergic to most lubes and I've gotten pregnant 3 times with him doing that.

 

[Melanieanne77]

Well thats a relief then!

Thanks,
Melanie

 

[TMonster]

Ladies, can any of you provide research or evidence regarding whether or not it is harmful? I've been looking on the US National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health website and cannot find any studies regarding this topic, and I'd hate for all of us to assume something that could potentially be or not be true.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6890474

https://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/13/12/3351.short

https://ccf.org/reproductiveresearchcenter/docs/agradoc275.pdf

I also found a study indicating that using saliva can also lead to vaginal yeast infections and saliva as lube if you are a smoker or take certain medications can also have a detrimental effect but I am not trying to flood links.

It definitely has a negative effect and should be avoided if possible but I don't think its the end of the world.

 

[Dtswife]

I think it's probably one of those things that if you have lower fertility, you want to avoid. But if sperm counts are high, and you have good CM, it's probably Ok. Yet another "better safe than sorry" thing. Bleh.
I believe the issue is that the digestive process actually starts with saliva, and the enzymes that start working on your food can also dissolve the sperm's protective sheath.

 

[tawanamood]

It can probably kill some, but I doubt it would eliminate all the swimmers.

When we first started trying I was under the impression air killed sperm...if I knew then what I know now, lol.

 

[Briss]

I like this response I think it sums up the issue nicely: "Dr. Amos: There have been many studies done on what influences sperm survival. And most studies show that saliva can have a negative effect on sperm. If he has enough sperms then it's unlikely to make a major difference, but if he has a low sperm count then you need every single sperm."

for this reason, we stopped any oral activity around ovulation once we found out that hubby has low sperm count.