Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Does Precum Do?How Much Is Normal?Pregnancy RiskBirth Control MethodsPreventing Pregnancy From PrecumSTI Risk
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Does Precum Do?
How Much Is Normal?
Pregnancy Risk
Birth Control Methods
Preventing Pregnancy From Precum
STI Risk
Precum, also called pre-ejaculate, is a clear fluid that comes out of thepenisduring arousal but beforeorgasm. Precum is a lubricant that does not usually contain sperm. However, there may already be sperm in the urethra that mixes with the fluid as it passes through. If precum is released into the vagina, there’s a risk of pregnancy before ejaculation.
Also Known AsPre-seminal fluidCowper’s fluid
Also Known As
Pre-seminal fluidCowper’s fluid
Precum is a thick clear fluid similar tosemen—the white fluid that comes out of the penis during an orgasm. In addition to reducing friction during intercourse, precum makes it easier for sperm to leave the body.
This article will go over what precum is and what it does. It will also cover how much precum is normal and the chances of getting pregnant from precum.
bagi1998 / E+ / Getty Images
The Anatomy and Function of the Penis
Pre-ejaculate can neutralize the acidity in the urethra, making it more alkaline. This clears the way for sperm to travel through it safely.
While semen has sperm in it, precum usually does not. It’s mostly made up of nutrients and other substances that helpkeep semen healthy. Even though precum is not meant to have sperm in it, sperm can get into the fluid as it’s leaving the body.
What Is Ejaculate?
Difference Between Precum and Semen
Semencontains sperm, which is made in thetestes. It also contains a nutrient-rich fluid (seminal fluid) that helps sperm move. Semen exits the body through the urethra.
The Skene Glands and Semen
How Much Precum Is Normal?
There’s no “normal” or “abnormal” amount of precum. The amount of precum a person makes can vary.
Some people may produce a few drops. Others may produce close to 1 teaspoon.A person does not control how much precum is released or when it comes out.
Most people do not notice or feel when precum is released. It’s easy not to feel the little bit of wetness at the tip of the penis from precum during sex. A person with a penis cannot control precum, and there’s no way to tell if the fluid has sperm in it.
What if I Have Excessive Precum?
Having too much precum is usually nothing to worry about.
It’s rare, but some males produce more fluid than a teaspoon. Excess precum may become bothersome when it soils clothes during arousal. In this case, talk to a healthcare provider to see if medications may be able to help.
Serotonin’s Role in Ejaculation
Does Precum Cause Pregnancy?
The chances of getting pregnant from precum are low, but it’s not impossible. Even if precum only contacts the outsideof thevulva, pregnancy could happen (though it’s not likely).
Precum does not typically have sperm in it. However, if the fluid travels through the urethra soon after a person has ejaculated, sperm can be picked up.
If a person has intercourse after a recent ejaculation, precum can mix with sperm that was left behind in the urethra.
There is no way to tell whether precum has sperm in it or not.
There are various statistics on rates of pregnancy with precum and the withdrawal method.
Although the chance is relatively low, there is a possibility you can get pregnant from precum. This varies from person to person but can happen in about 27% of people who use withdrawal as their only method of birth control.
What About Precum After Vasectomy?
If a person with a penis has had a vasectomy, their ejaculate and precum will no longer contain sperm.
That said, people do sometimes get pregnant after a partner has had avasectomy. It takes a few months after the procedure for the sperm to no longer be in semen, so having sex too soon after a vasectomy can carry a risk for pregnancy.
After about 15 to 20 ejaculations, any remaining sperm will be cleared out of the semen. This may take three months or more if ejaculations happen five to seven times a month. About one in five people with a vasectomy will still have sperm after this period and will need to wait even longer. It’s not safe to assume the vasectomy is effective until the sperm count has dropped to zero.
Why the Pull-Out Method Is Risky
Alternatives to the Withdrawal Method
The only way to prevent pregnancy from precum is to use birth control. You and a partner can discuss the methods (or combination of methods) that work best for you.
Withdrawal methods shouldn’t be the only form of birth control if you don’t want to get pregnant. There are other, more reliable forms of birth control; some are reversible and some are permanent:
5 Things You Need to Know About Birth Control
How to Prevent Pregnancy From Precum
If you were exposed to precum and are worried about pregnancy, know that it takes a fertilized egg (embryo) about 10 days to implant into the uterus. You may want totake a pregnancy testaround that time, especially if yourperiod is late.
If you had sex without protection and are concerned about pregnancy from precum, you might consider usingemergency contraception. There are a few options:
Can You Still Get Plan B One-Step After Roe v. Wade Was Overturned?
Can Precum Transmit STIs?
Even if you are not concerned about pregnancy, exposure to precum also has other risks. Precum can carry bacteria, viruses, and organisms that causesexually transmitted infections (STIs).
To protect yourself,use a condomfor any sexual contact with a penis and getscreened for STIsregularly.
STIs do not always cause symptoms. See your provider if you have green or yellow penile or vaginaldischargeand symptoms like pain and itching, as these can besigns of an STI.
STIs Don’t Always Cause Symptoms
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be spread through precum, as well as blood, vaginal fluid, breast milk, and semen.
If you have unprotected sex, gettested regularly for HIV. It’s also important to know the signs andsymptoms of HIV, including:
Can You Get HIV From Oral Sex?
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common STI in the United States. The bacteria that cause it can live in precum, vaginal fluid, and semen.
Many people do not havesymptoms of chlamydia. When they do, the symptoms of chlamydia can include:
Chlamydia vs. Gonorrhea: Similarities and Differences
Gonorrhea
Gonorrheais another common bacterial infection that can be transmitted through precum, semen, and vaginal fluid.
People with gonorrhea do not always havesymptoms, but if they do, they can include:
If the infection spreads to the rectum, it may cause these symptoms:
Gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics, but you’ll need to see a provider toget testedfor it.
How Is Gonorrhea Treated?
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis Bis a highly infectious virus that affects the liver. It is the onlystrain of hepatitisthat can be transmitted through precum.
Symptoms of hepatitis Btypically show up around 90 days after you’ve been exposed to the virus and include:
If you think you might have hepatitis B, see your provider.Hepatitis B can be treated, but there is no cure. Most cases clear up in a few months. If not, there are also medications that can slow downliver damagefrom hepatitis B.
You can also getvaccinated against hepatitis Bto protect yourself.
Do I Need a Hepatitis B Vaccine?
Summary
Precum is not the same as ejaculate. Precum usually does not have any sperm in it, but it still carries a risk of pregnancy and STIs.
The only way to prevent pregnancy or STIs from precum is to practice the same birth control that you’d use for sex where ejaculation occurs, such as condoms, birth control pills, or an IUD.
It’s important to have an open and honest conversation with your partner(s) about their sexual and testing history ideallybeforea sexual encounter, but it’s never too late to address these concerns.
4 Questions to Ask a New Partner Before Having Sex
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.International Planned Parenthood Foundation.What is pre-ejaculate?International Society for Sexual Medicine.What is pre-ejaculate or precum?Lee MY, Dalpiaz A, Schwamb R, Miao Y, Waltzer W, Khan A.Clinical pathology of bartholin’s glands: a review of the literature.CUR. 2014;8(1):22-25.Planned Parenthood.Can you feel it when you pre-cum?Sundaram A, Vaughan B, Kost K, et al.Contraceptive failure in the United States: estimates from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth.Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2017;49(1):7-16. doi:10.1363/psrh.12017Planned Parenthood.How effective is a vasectomy?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.How effective is vasectomy?Office of Population Affairs.Contraception and preventing pregnancy.Planned Parenthood.What’s the Plan B morning after pill?Planned Parenthood.What’s the ella morning-after pill?Planned Parenthood.How do IUDs work as emergency contraception?HIV.gov.How is HIV transmitted?HIV.gov.HIV Treatment as Prevention.MedlinePlus.Chlamydia infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About gonorrhea.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical signs and symptoms of hepatitis B.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.International Planned Parenthood Foundation.What is pre-ejaculate?International Society for Sexual Medicine.What is pre-ejaculate or precum?Lee MY, Dalpiaz A, Schwamb R, Miao Y, Waltzer W, Khan A.Clinical pathology of bartholin’s glands: a review of the literature.CUR. 2014;8(1):22-25.Planned Parenthood.Can you feel it when you pre-cum?Sundaram A, Vaughan B, Kost K, et al.Contraceptive failure in the United States: estimates from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth.Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2017;49(1):7-16. doi:10.1363/psrh.12017Planned Parenthood.How effective is a vasectomy?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.How effective is vasectomy?Office of Population Affairs.Contraception and preventing pregnancy.Planned Parenthood.What’s the Plan B morning after pill?Planned Parenthood.What’s the ella morning-after pill?Planned Parenthood.How do IUDs work as emergency contraception?HIV.gov.How is HIV transmitted?HIV.gov.HIV Treatment as Prevention.MedlinePlus.Chlamydia infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About gonorrhea.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical signs and symptoms of hepatitis B.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
International Planned Parenthood Foundation.What is pre-ejaculate?International Society for Sexual Medicine.What is pre-ejaculate or precum?Lee MY, Dalpiaz A, Schwamb R, Miao Y, Waltzer W, Khan A.Clinical pathology of bartholin’s glands: a review of the literature.CUR. 2014;8(1):22-25.Planned Parenthood.Can you feel it when you pre-cum?Sundaram A, Vaughan B, Kost K, et al.Contraceptive failure in the United States: estimates from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth.Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2017;49(1):7-16. doi:10.1363/psrh.12017Planned Parenthood.How effective is a vasectomy?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.How effective is vasectomy?Office of Population Affairs.Contraception and preventing pregnancy.Planned Parenthood.What’s the Plan B morning after pill?Planned Parenthood.What’s the ella morning-after pill?Planned Parenthood.How do IUDs work as emergency contraception?HIV.gov.How is HIV transmitted?HIV.gov.HIV Treatment as Prevention.MedlinePlus.Chlamydia infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About gonorrhea.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical signs and symptoms of hepatitis B.
International Planned Parenthood Foundation.What is pre-ejaculate?
International Society for Sexual Medicine.What is pre-ejaculate or precum?
Lee MY, Dalpiaz A, Schwamb R, Miao Y, Waltzer W, Khan A.Clinical pathology of bartholin’s glands: a review of the literature.CUR. 2014;8(1):22-25.
Planned Parenthood.Can you feel it when you pre-cum?
Sundaram A, Vaughan B, Kost K, et al.Contraceptive failure in the United States: estimates from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth.Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2017;49(1):7-16. doi:10.1363/psrh.12017
Planned Parenthood.How effective is a vasectomy?
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.How effective is vasectomy?
Office of Population Affairs.Contraception and preventing pregnancy.
Planned Parenthood.What’s the Plan B morning after pill?
Planned Parenthood.What’s the ella morning-after pill?
Planned Parenthood.How do IUDs work as emergency contraception?
HIV.gov.How is HIV transmitted?
HIV.gov.HIV Treatment as Prevention.
MedlinePlus.Chlamydia infections.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About gonorrhea.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical signs and symptoms of hepatitis B.
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