What is the Difference Between Sperm and Semen?

Sperm

• Is tadpole shaped and microscopic
• Fertilizes the female egg during reproduction
• Is made in the testicles

Semen

• Is a combination of different fluids including sperm
• Comes out of the penis when a guy cums
• Is white and sometimes thick

Erections

During puberty

• A guy can get an erection when he’s:
• Nervous or excited
• Needs to pee
• Is sleeping
• For reasons he can’t explain

After puberty

A guy will only get erections when sexually turned on.

During an erection, the penis gets hard and sticks up:

• For a few seconds to 30 minutes
• In different directions depending on the guy
• Without needing to ejaculate in order to get soft again

If a guy is paralyzed below the waist he may:

• Get reflex erections that have nothing to do with his sex drive
• Get erections from being turned on

If a guy with a disability can get an erection, he may:

• Find it hard to get and keep his erection without using special sex toys for extra stimulation
• Have frequent and painful erections, in which case he should talk to a doctor
• Be extra sensitive, and find that touching different parts of his genitals brings on an erection more easily

If a guy gets really turned on while he has an erection, he might ejaculate.

When a guy cums

• The muscles in his penis will start to contract
• About a teaspoon of semen will come out the tip in a few spurts
• The body blocks off the path for pee

pre-cum (pre-ejaculatory fluid) is a clear fluid

• May come out the tip of the penis just before ejaculation – but just a few drops
• May contain small amounts of sperm

Wet dreams

During puberty, guys will often ejaculate in sleep. This is called a wet dream.

• It might make a guy wake up when it happens. It might not.
• A guy could remember dreaming about something sexual.
• It could possibly happen often, seldom or not at all.

Cumming with disabilities

Some disabilities can make it difficult or impossible to ejaculate. If you have difficulty feeling or moving the area around your genitals, this may be the case for you.

• The experience is different for every person.
• You may be able ejaculate, but less often.
• Your semen may get misdirected to your bladder and show up in your pee.
• You may need extra foreplay to ejaculate.

Remember:

• You can have an orgasm without ejaculating
• There are toys to give you extra feeling
• There are special ways to get your semen if you ever want to have babies