Sperm Can Be Stored In Females' Bodies For Years, Study Shows

Sometimes babies come along at inopportune times - after sex, the human body can only delay fertilization for 3 to 5 days. But what if each woman had her own personal sperm bank? What if she could hold on to sperm until she felt ready to get pregnant?

Researchers have found many females in the natural world possess the nifty ability to store sperm within their bodies for weeks and even years. In the past decade, scientists have discovered that female birds, reptiles, insects, and even whale sharks use this uncanny reproductive method. By keeping the sperm on hold, researchers say, a female can start pregnancy at her leisure.

One of the most extreme examples of this trait exists in queen ants. They can fertilize their eggs with sperm stored for up to 30 years.

But how these sneaky females pull it off?

Dr. Klaus Reinhardt from the University of Sheffield has a new study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, which found that female crickets are able to store sperm within by slowing the sperm's aging process to prolong its viability.

By analyzing sperm taken from female crickets' reproductive tracts, Reinhardt and his team monitored the metabolic rate of male crickets' sperm and how many 'free radicals' it produced - measures of the sperm's aging process. The scientists found that both the metabolic rate and the level of free radicals of stored sperm were much lower than that of un-stored sperm. By dampening the aging process, females can keep sperm alive almost indefinitely.

Not interested in cricket sex? Dr. Reinhardt pointed to a practical application of this finding, saying it suggests that commonly used semen analysis tests may not accurately gauge whether a man is able to father children.

"Infertility tests on sperm are notoriously unreliable, and this could be one reason why," Dr. Reinhardt said in a written statement. "Females could be manipulating sperm."

Comments

[evesapple]

05:05 PM on 01/31/2012

Wasn't that a story line on a sci-fi show not too long ago?

[troyrobertdavid]

03:38 PM on 01/30/2012

Can you say child support nightmare?

[Arturo Ramrez]

08:00 PM on 01/28/2012

Misleading headline. And it's not one study, it's a whole load of studies. Seriously, who is in charge of the Science section?

[molemesum]

11:41 AM on 01/28/2012

Another "Enquirer" story by huff

[ROXK]

10:41 AM on 01/28/2012

Thank God it is just some animals and insects that this can happen to. I think alot of us women would be in trouble!!! LOL

[John Eisworth]

08:07 AM on 01/28/2012

i thought they were gonna say in their stomachs like bubblegum! lol

[AkoyaPearl]

03:18 AM on 01/28/2012

What about the scientific possibilities attached to this discovery? What exactly is causing the slowed aging of the sperm cells? Could we replicate this in other cells? I'm sure the cosmetics industry would want to harness this effect in skin care products. The medical possibilities are astounding as well. If we could apply this to tumors it might be able to slow the tumor down and give people more time for chemotherapy to work, or more time for other treatments to start working. I'd like to one day be able to take a shot or pill that will slow the progression of age and disease. Scientists need to get to work on this.

[czs5056]

10:03 AM on 01/29/2012

tell all your representatives several times a day to fund it and don't stop until they start the funding

[STaR Scream 81]

02:13 AM on 01/28/2012

That would make it hard to know if you were really the daddy or not

[CASnyder]

02:02 AM on 01/28/2012

Now if only I could figure out how to keep my eggs from aging, there might be hope for Junior yet.

[Lynda Filler]

12:55 AM on 01/28/2012

This puts a whole new slant on "old souls".

[wmechaneer]

12:15 AM on 01/28/2012

Dr. Reinhardt said in a written statement. "Females could be manipulating sperm."

That ain't all they manipulate.

[ROXK]

10:39 AM on 01/28/2012

That only happens if you let it..... think with the right head and you should be fine.

[pcpc]

01:08 PM on 01/29/2012

Your "right head" is way down in South Pole.

[wmechaneer]

06:11 AM on 01/30/2012

Got two brains, and women keep borrowing the wrong one.

[Jeff Lassiter]

12:09 AM on 01/28/2012

Something something something Maury Povich.

[grovrat]

11:57 PM on 01/27/2012

At first glance, I though it said "...can store SPAM..." and I know for a fact that's true. I have the thighs to prove it.

[aries932]

09:26 PM on 01/27/2012

hahahahahaha...without remark...too funny

[Jay Gress]

09:23 PM on 01/27/2012

god, i hope it is not anyone i know!