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Question:
Thank you for all the great articles that you have.
My wife checks herself once a year for cervix cancer. She is going back soon, but she is concerned about having semen in her when she goes to get herself examined. My question then is: "how long in general does sperm stays in a woman? and how long in advance do we need to stop having sex before going for a cervix exam for cancer?" She will feel bad if the doctor found traces of sperm in her, so your help will be highly appreciated. Thank you.
A concerned husband.
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Answer:
by Melissa BEE: (05/17/2004)
As far as I understand sperm generally survives about 72 hours in a woman's reproductive tract, but they have been known to survive longer.
Unless your wife goes to the gynecologist immediately after having sex, then most of it would have flushed itself out by gravitational force. If she wants to be absolutely 100% sure there is not a single sperm present I guess you would have to abstain for about a week. But personally, I wouldn't even bother. The gynecologist takes a scraping of cells from the cervix and uterine walls, small traces of sperm are only seen under the microscope and not by the naked eye, so really there is no need to be embarrassed. All that will show is that she is sexually active. If she has stated to her doctor that she is not sexually active, then it may be best to stop a week before. But there is no real need to feel embarrassed.
Thank You for coming to The Sexual Health Network. Feel free to ask any more questions.
Melissa BEE
Reviewed by Sexual Health Editorial Team
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