Are sperm intelligent?

[nokatprotested]

Do sperm have any idea where they're going? This is something I've always wondered...like, if a guy ejaculates outside of the body, do the sperm think "hmm...I need to swim left to find the opening" (not literally of course) or even when a guy ejaculates inside the girl, do the sperm know where to go or does the female reproductive system push them along? Basically I guess I'm just wondering, do sperm choose where they want to go or do they literally just go wherever the semen flows?

[Eddie C]

Sperm cells -- like many other cells in our bodies -- work based on signals. These signals can come from hormones, pH, enzymes and many other things.

When someone with a penis ejaculates outside the vagina, sperm cells don't have the conditions they need to move, so that would be all for them. But, if and when sperm is ejaculated inside the vagina, then the vagina itself will give the conditions needed for them to move. This is not always so simply as, depending on the cycle of the person with the uterus the conditions of the vagina can vary making the "moving" not an easy task.

So, what I am trying to say is that sperm won't act all by themselves. They kinda need some help -- a lot, actually! -- to get where they need to go.

If you have the time and the will, you can always take a look at this article: http://www.scarleteen.com/article/bodie ... production

...it explains in detail how all this process happens.

[nokatprotested]

Then why is it that this site say that you can get pregnant if the guy ejaculates outside the vagina? Is it because semen can drip inside or can the sperm really find their own way in?

[Heather]

If you mean on the vulva or anus -- because we certainly don't say pregnancy can occur when ejaculation happens on places other than the genitals anywhere here -- that's because a) gravity (when the angle is such for that to be a factor, b) those areas are moist, and the vaginal opening is right there, so sperm cells can move via fluids present there and the semen they are ejaculated with.

That's not about sperm cells being smart -- cells don't have the ability to "think" -- just about them moving based on fluids, like you said right in your first post. In other words, you're overthinking this.

Too, none of this really matters if and when people are using reliable forms of contraception properly for any activities that do present pregnancy risks. Those methods have been developed by people who DO have intelligence, who can think, and have also employed the scientific process in developing those methods. People have intelligence, after all, unlike sperm cells, and outsmarting them or reproductive systems on the whole, as it were, really isn't very difficult.

[Heather]

Just FYI, I have merged this new account you have made with your previous handle. Our user guidelines make clear that users may not have more than one handle/identity here. All limits set with you with either account still need to be respected, please, and please do not create other identities. This account is closed: your earlier handle remains active for your use. Thank you.