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Q: Sperm: How long do they live after ejaculation?

A: The average life span of sperm depends on their environment.

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Selected articles

Abortion pill: FDA repeats warnings of risks
Amenorrhea
Amniocentesis: Answers to common questions
Antidepressants: Are they safe during pregnancy?
Back pain during pregnancy
Belly fat in women: How to keep it off
Birth control pill FAQ: From menstruation to menopause — and everything in between
Caesarean birth and the road to recovery
Caesarean delivery: When is it the best option?
Childbirth education: Get ready for labor and delivery
Cholestasis of pregnancy
Choosing your health care provider for pregnancy
Chorionic villus sampling: Answers to common questions
Coping with bed rest
Coping with pregnancy loss
Delaying your period through oral contraceptives
Early pregnancy: Morning sickness, fatigue and other common symptoms
Early signs and symptoms of pregnancy: Things you might notice before you start prenatal care
Ectopic pregnancy
Epilepsy and pregnancy: Healthy choices for a healthy baby
Episiotomy: Can you deliver a baby without one?
Female infertility
Fetal development: What happens during the first trimester?
Fetal development: What happens during the second trimester?
Fetal development: What happens during the third trimester?
Fetal ultrasound: What can it tell you?
First trimester prenatal care
Group B strep: How to protect your baby
High blood pressure and pregnancy: Healthy mom, healthy baby
Home pregnancy tests: Can you trust the results?
Hormone replacement therapy and your heart
Hormone replacement therapy: Benefits and alternatives
Hot flashes: Minimize discomfort during menopause
How to get pregnant
Hysterectomy: Surgery to remove your uterus
Implanon: FDA approves implantable contraceptive
Inducing labor: Your questions answered
Infertility
Kegel exercises: How to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles
Labor pain: Medications for relief
Labor pain: Weigh your options for pain relief
Lybrel: Birth control pill eliminates periods
Menopause
Menopause and diabetes: A twin challenge
Menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding)
Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
Mittelschmerz
Morning-after pill: Plan B OK'd without prescription
Overdue pregnancy: What to do when baby's overdue
Perimenopause
Placenta previa
Placental abruption
Postpartum care: What to expect after a vaginal birth
Postpartum depression
Preconception planning: Is your body ready for pregnancy?
Preeclampsia
Pregnancy after 35: Healthy moms, healthy babies
Pregnancy and diabetes: Plan your pregnancy to avoid complications
Pregnancy and diabetes: What to expect from conception to birth
Pregnancy and exercise: Baby, let's move!
Pregnancy and fish: What's too little — or too much?
Pregnancy nutrition: Foods to avoid
Pregnancy: Essential nutrients when you're eating for two
Pregnancy: Healthy eating for you and your baby
Pregnancy: Symptoms and emotions in the first trimester
Pregnancy: Symptoms and emotions in the second trimester
Pregnancy: Symptoms and emotions in the third trimester
Pregnancy: When you have a chronic health condition
Pregnancy: When you have a heart condition
Premature birth
Premature ovarian failure
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Prenatal testing: Who should consider it?
Prenatal vitamins: Give your baby the best start
Preterm labor: Prevention is key
Returning from maternity leave: Tips for working mothers
Second trimester prenatal care
Sex after pregnancy: Let your body set the pace
Sex during pregnancy: An unnecessary taboo?
Signs of labor: Know what to expect
Stages of labor: Baby, it's time!
Third trimester prenatal care
Twin pregnancy: What multiples mean for mom
Understanding miscarriage
Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy: What causes it, and what should you do?
Vaginal bleeding: What's normal, what's not?
Warning issued for Ortho Evra birth control patch
Warning strengthened on Paxil birth defect risks
Water retention before your period: How to stop the swelling
Weight gain after menopause: Reverse the middle age spread
Weight gain during pregnancy: What's healthy?
Weight loss after pregnancy: Reclaiming your body
Working during pregnancy: Stay healthy and productive

Health Tools

Menopause quiz
Slide show: Exercises to prepare for labor
Slide show: Vaginal tears in childbirth: A look at the four classifications of tears

See Also

Pregnancy Center
Women's Health Center
MayoClinic.com Health Library