Whither the wet spot? or, Sperm are hardy little bastards

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Q: How long does a guys bodily fluids usually hang around inside the vagina?

sperm
Well, as far as the actual fluid is concerned, unless the woman was doing a headstand when the guy pulled out, most of the semen ends up on the bedsheets almost immediately (or the living room carpet, or the kitchen table, or wherever you happen to be at the time …). However, the little sperm are surprisingly hardy buggers.

I'd always heard sperm can live up to 72 hours in the woman's body, but I went looking to confirm that for this question, and now I'm seeing a lot of sources that say they can live 5-7 days! That's bad news for folks trying to avoid pregnancy via the rhythm method … you're off limits for up to a full week before ovulation, and then the egg can live a further 24+ hours after that.

For strictly hygienic purposes (since this question was originally titled "sexual hygiene"), I couldn't find any specific information on how long the seminal fluid can possibly stay in the vagina after intercourse, but most of it does seep out shortly afterward (especially if the woman gets up and walks around, to use the toilet, for instance). For the day following intercourse, some women wear a thin pantyliner to absorb any additional fluid. Douching afterward is also an option, if you're worried about cleanliness (although douching is NOT recommended as a birth control measure, because the pressure of the douche water can actually help push the semen further into the vagina!).

And of course, using a condom pretty well negates the whole question … so if it's a major concern of yours, do consider that option.