Precum or preseminal fluid is not the same as semen. Outwardly, it resembles a sticky, transparent mixture secreted from the urethral opening of the penis. It is released before ejaculation, mixes with sperm during ejaculation, and enters the vagina during unprotected sex.
Visually, this liquid resembles raw egg white. During arousal in men, fluid is secreted from Cooper's gland and paraurethral Littre's glands. It contains prostate juice.
The Cooper's glands - also called bulbourethral glands - are about the size of a pea and are located under the prostate on both sides of the urethra.
The Littre's glands look like groups and are distributed in about 30 pieces throughout the urethra. They constantly secrete a secretion that lubricates the urethra. Its formation increases during sexual excitement.
Every man has his own amount of lube. To make it clearer, we can draw an analogy with women: some need additional lubrication during sex, while others need their natural lubricant. The amount of secretion from the bulbourethral glands is determined by the levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. With prostate adenoma, the level of dihydrotestosterone is increased, and, accordingly, discharge in men increases during excitement, although the composition is not normal.
The composition of the preseminal fluid is somewhat similar to that of sperm. It contains many sialoproteins, enzymes, aminosaccharides, and an alkaline reaction also takes place in it.
The purpose of excretion during arousal in men (pre-ejaculate) is to moisten the head, facilitate the insertion of the penis into the vagina, prepare the urethral canal for the passage of semen, and supply the sperm with useful substances. It also neutralizes bacteria and urine residues and alkalizes the environment of the penis and vagina, creating good conditions for germ cells.
At the time the preseminal fluid is produced, there are no sperm in it. This is because they are not connected to the testes in any way and the glands do not synthesize them. However, sperm may be present in the pre-ejaculate that leaves the urethra, depending on which stage of sexual intercourse it is. The pre-ejaculation phase begins with the approach to orgasm as soon as the testicles are pulled forcefully towards the groin. The channels through which the sperm flow become pumps that pump the sperm out of the epididymis and push it into the prostatic part of the urethra. There they wait for the orgasm to begin - the release of sperm. Sometimes they travel further along the urethra and mix with the secretions of Cooper's glands.
It happens that sperm are retained in the pre-ejaculate from the time of the previous ejaculation. Some men even develop spermatorrhea - sperm incontinence. The reason for this is too high a testosterone level or taking strong medications. The detection of sperm in the pre-ejaculate is only possible through analysis, as they are excreted unnoticed during arousal.
You can even get pregnant through preseminal fluid - a 20% chance out of 100. This chance increases with repeated intercourse. A new portion of discharge in men during arousal can push stuck germ cells out of the urethral canal and move them into the vagina.
15-20% of men have sperm in their pre-ejaculate, so there is a high risk of becoming pregnant even if intercourse is interrupted.
Normal amount of mucus
The amount of pre-cum depends on how aroused the man is. Accordingly, maximum concentration is only possible with a strong sexual desire. The norm is 5 ml.
Some men produce no lubrication at all, which reduces their ability to father a child. When aroused, the discharge of a healthy man has no odor, inclusions or lumps, is viscous and is not accompanied by pain or discomfort.
The main function of preseed formation is purification, so their composition can often change. Clouding can occur with repeated sexual intercourse, before ejaculation, or due to poor hygiene. The pre-ejaculate returns to a healthy state after a few days. If he has not recovered, you need to go to the clinic, as this is a sure sign of the development of the disease.
Pre-seed function
Lubrication during sexual intercourse is important because its special composition disinfects and removes acid after urination. This is a natural preparation of the body for the removal of the semen, which can easily pass through the prepared canal. The microflora in the female vagina is acidic to prevent various diseases. But an acidic environment also damages the sperm and makes them weak and ineffective. And pre-ejaculation reduces acidity, and when the sperm is released, the female body is ready to absorb it, thus ensuring conception.
Signs of an abnormal condition
When a man is excited, he secretes a fluid that is far from normal, has its own color, smell and composition, and is complemented by aching pain. A health problem is indicated by the appearance of urethral discharge, a terrible smell, pain when excreting urinary fluid, too much discharge, arbitrary formation of fluid without intimate desire, the presence of additional inclusions and a change in the structure of the discharge thin or thick. Any of these signs indicates the course of a pathology in the body that provokes disease.
If lubricants are released in men without arousal, it is worth talking about the following diseases:
- Hematorrhea – pre-ejaculate is released along with blood when the lining of the urethra is injured.
- Spermatorea – Sperm is released randomly in the absence of orgasm because the muscle tone of the ducts through which semen is released is too low. Pathology is caused by chronic inflammation.
- Leukocyte urethrorrhea is the actual stage of the inflammatory process, during which fluid is released into the tissues and body cavities. The exudative phase occurs when the mucous protective film of the urethra has suffered thermal or mechanical damage or has been exposed to viruses and chemicals for a long period of time.
- Mucopurulent – contain fluid secreted by the serous membranes, leukocytes and glandular secretions. This mucus usually forms at night. After waking up, the man notices discharge with pus and yellowish spots on his underwear. They occur when the urethra is infected by bacteria – chlamydia, uramicoplasma or trichomonas.
- Purulent – contain a lot of urethral epithelium, leukocytes, fluid from serous membranes and mucus. This type of discharge is very thick and smells terrible. Externally, they resemble yellowish or greenish drops and are a sure sign of gonococcal urethritis, which occurs due to gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Mucus can be released in both large and small amounts. Lubrication in a small volume is virtually invisible. To detect it, you need to press on the urethral opening, then the liquid will appear. It usually dries immediately and leaves a film on the membrane of the head of the penis. Because the structure is too viscous, the sponges of the urinary canal stick together.
Causes of painful discharge
The release of fluid during arousal in men is higher or lower than normal due to sexually transmitted diseases, but the reason for this may lie in more than just this.
- STDs. They arise due to an unfavorable settlement of microflora on the mucous membrane of the urethral canal, the glands, cavities and the external areas of the genital organs. All sexually transmitted diseases are divided into 4 groups depending on the pathogen: bacteria (groin granuloma; chancre; syphilis; lymphogranuloma; chlamydia; gonorrhea; mycoplasmosis; ureaplasmosis), viruses (HIV; herpes; condyloma; papilloma virus; molluscum contagiosum), fungus (candidiasis)and parasites (scabies; phthiriasis).
- Different reasons. The prostate fulfills a crucial function in sperm production. Without its secretion, the seminal fluid has no function. When the prostate is inflamed, its production is intensified.
Men with chronic prostatitis notice profuse discharge from the urethral opening when excited. This fluid is called prostatic secretion and is very similar to pre-ejaculate.
In men, profuse discharge during excitement may occur due to allergies, hypothermia, inflammatory processes, chemical or physical injuries.
Clear mucus may indicate a recent probing. It is the body's protective response to microtraumas in the mucous membrane. If such discharge is observed in large quantities, it is considered a sure sign of infertility.
To identify a specific pathology, it is not enough to visually assess the fluid. Here it is important to check the biological composition, which can only be done as part of a medical examination.
Can lubricant fertilize?
It has been experimentally proven that male lubricant contains few sperm, so the chance of pregnancy is low if released during unprotected sex.
The likelihood of conception is particularly high in the middle of the cycle, when ovulation has already passed and the cervix is still open. At other times, what is released in men during arousal is not enough for fertilization. Without sperm as a breeding ground, germ cells in the vagina die quickly.
The likelihood of conception is highest after repeated sexual intercourse because the lubricant contains quite a lot of sperm. If there is no desire to have children, it is better to go to the toilet shortly before the next visit.
Can a virgin get pregnant?
This is entirely possible, and we are not talking about the virgin birth here. This situation is due to two conditions:
- individual features of the structure of the hymen;
- sperm viability and speed;
- Is the girl ovulating at this time?
Even naked stroking can unexpectedly lead to pregnancy. This happens when male lubricant gets on the girl's genitals. Sperm can enter the vagina and conception occurs. The risk is higher if the hymen is particularly stretchy or damaged (trauma, equestrian sport).
Sometimes this is enough to connect the egg and sperm. Medical statistics show that a woman giving birth with an intact hymen is not uncommon.
Color before cumming
Healthy male lubricant is clear and colorless. Inflammatory processes – cooperitis – change the color and composition of the fluid. If the discharge becomes cloudy and has a yellowish or greenish hue, this indicates suspicious pathogen activity. If the color is brown, this indicates inflammatory damage to the blood vessels and bleeding.
Inflammation of Cooper's glands can be detected using a urine sample from several glasses. First you need to urinate in the first container, after massaging the gland, urinate in another container - at this stage a secretion appears in the urine, which needs to be checked. After the second examination, the prostate is massaged and the urine is collected in a third container. For example, if an increased leukocyte content was found in the second container, and in the first and third containers they are normal, this indicates isolated inflammation.
Stagnant secretions can also lead to blockage of the glands - after all, the urethral ducts reach a length of 2-8 cm, and the resulting plugs lead to inflammation. In this case, massage and antibacterial therapy are prescribed for treatment.
diagnosis
Urologists examine the genitals after listening to the patient's complaints and taking an anamnesis. In this case, specialists simultaneously take prostate juice through rectal massage. Further laboratory tests are required:
- blood analysis;
- prostate secretion;
- analysis of urine;
- Sperm.
It is important to evaluate the discharge yourself. To do this, they are subjected to a microscopic examination. This method allows you to identify the root cause of the problem – bacteria, viruses, fungi.
Next, doctors move on to instrumental diagnostics:
- Ultrasound of the pelvic organs, penis, scrotum;
- Dopplerography;
- radiography;
- MRI;
- CT;
- cystoscopy;
- urethroscopy;
- scintigraphy.
If neoplasms are found during the examination, diagnosticians carry out a puncture.
How to reduce discharge from excitement
Sexual desire is difficult to hide when discharge is visible through clothing. If men release large amounts of fluid when excited, you need to follow several recommendations:
- have sex regularly – at least 2-3 times a week, this normalizes the secretion of the glands;
- Consult a urologist - sometimes abundant pre-ejaculate indicates hormonal imbalance, inflammation and prostate adenoma;
- avoid tight-fitting underwear; if the underwear is loose, the discharge is not so noticeable;
- Avoid becoming aroused in inappropriate situations – avoid visual and physical stimulation.
Prevention measures
In general, preventive measures come down to the correct attitude to sexual intimacy and largely depend on the girl's upbringing.
General recommendations to meet the following conditions:
- Good sexual sense, reasonably educated.
- Only use proven contraceptive methods that are sufficiently effective.
- The contraceptive should be selected by a qualified gynecologist, and not according to the caveman method - the poking method.
- In the unfortunate circumstances of unwanted pregnancy, it is necessary to ensure the safety and legality of the abortion procedures, which depends solely on the qualifications and professional skills of the doctor.
- High-quality, professional advice, recommendations and medical care after an abortion.
How to increase your discharge before sex
It happens that men secrete a small amount of lubricant when aroused. Increasing the amount of pre-ejaculate is especially important for men who prefer sex without a condom. Natural lubrication improves lubrication, eliminates damage and increases fertility
How can you do that:
- Increase the length of foreplay. Sex without sufficient stimulation leads to injuries to the mucous membranes of the sexual organs. High-quality and long-lasting foreplay triggers intensive fluid production in women and men.
- Use dietary supplements or aphrodisiacs. Dietary supplements with ginseng, hot mucuna and horny weed are particularly suitable. They increase arousal and increase the amount of pre-ejaculate released.
- Avoid alcohol and cigarettes as toxins interfere with the normal functioning of the glands.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Regularly perform exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles (squats, bridges and Kegel exercises).
Testosterone helps increase secretion in men when aroused. Therefore, during andropause in men, the amount of pre-ejaculate decreases. The synthesis can be normalized with the help of synthetic and herbal testosterone boosters, but only under strict medical supervision.
In most cases, biologically active substances (dietary supplements) help to safely increase the amount of preseminal fluid and improve sperm quality. Types of contraception: choosing the best option
The comparison table will help you choose the most reliable protection method:
| Protection method | Reliability level, % |
| condom | until 96 |
| Male sterilization | 99, 9 |
| Intrauterine hormonal methods | until 97 |
| Oral contraceptives | until 98 |
| Hormone injections | until 97 |
| membrane | until 95 |
| Intrauterine device | until 95 |
| Basal temperature measurement | up to 70 |
| Calendar method | up to 70 |
| Interruption of sexual intercourse | up to 60 |
| Showering after sex | up to 15 |
The couple individually selects a suitable method. It is important to consider your partners' health status and habits.