THE AMOUNT OF SEMEN

Most men ejaculate 2.5cc to 5cc of semen. Low ejaculate volumes may mean a very high concentration of sperm. On the other hand, patients with very high volume of ejaculate, in spite of adequate sperm production will have low sperm concentration as the sperm are diluted in relatively large amount of fluid. The total number of sperm ejaculated into the vagina is probably not as important as the concentration of sperm.

Very large ejaculate volumes can be detrimental because a smaller concentration of sperm gets in contact with the wife's cervix and therefore a smaller number of sperm are able to attempt the journey upward toward the egg.

Certain patients taking medicines to control high blood pressure may have backward ejaculation of sperm into the urinary bladder as a side effect of the medication. Such patient may mistakenly believe that he is making no sperm at all whereas in truth he may be making large amounts of sperm. These are simply not getting out.