Patient's question:
I've been married to my wife for several years. Recently, I want to have a baby, so I've been actively trying to conceive. But I've noticed that the sperm I ejaculate has something like glue. Why is that?Doctor's answer:
Normal semen immediately after ejaculation is viscous, milky white, and contains grayish-white clots. Approximately 10 to 20 minutes later, the clots liquefy on their own, turning into a translucent, cloudy, and thin viscous fluid. If this process takes longer than 1 hour, it is referred to as prolonged semen liquefaction time. The coagulation of semen is caused by coagulation protein produced by the seminal vesicles. On the other hand, liquefaction is the result of a series of proteolytic enzymes secreted by the prostate, known as liquefaction factors. Therefore, if the prostate and seminal vesicles become inflamed, leading to disrupted secretion function, it can increase the coagulation factors or decrease the liquefaction factors in semen, resulting in semen that does not liquefy.