Sperm color indicates male health, which is normal?

When ejaculating, sperm will come out through the penis with a thick liquid called semen or semen. Generally, healthy sperm has a white or gray color with a slightly thick texture. However, did you know that semen can also change due to certain conditions? Check out the explanation of good or good sperm color below.

Various colors of sperm and their causes

When preparing for pregnancy, it is not uncommon for you and your partner to do a fertility test.

Likewise, when you feel something is wrong with sperm health.

Although the characteristics of healthy sperm cannot be seen with the naked eye, you can see how the color of the semen changes.

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, normal semen or sperm is usually white to gray in color.

When a discoloration occurs, it is a temporary condition and possibly harmless.

Here are the various colors of sperm that are good and what they mean for health:

1. Clear, white, or gray

White, gray, or clear, colorless semen indicates a good and healthy sperm condition.

Please note, sperm with these characteristics usually also have a thick texture which indicates the large number of sperm cells.

However, some people may have watery sperm even though they are normal in color.

Semen that looks watery is generally due to low sperm count, frequent ejaculation, and insufficient intake zinc, or is pre-ejaculatory fluid.

2. Yellow or greenish

Not only white, you can also find greenish yellow semen.

Is a greenish yellow color in sperm a good and normal thing?

Usually, yellow sperm can occur for many reasons. Starting from diet, mixed with urine, to certain diseases.

The following causes a good sperm color to turn greenish yellow:

Dietary habit

Try to pay attention to the food consumed that day, which causes a nice change in the color of the sperm that turns yellow.

For example, foods containing dyes, high sulfur content such as garlic, even alcohol and cigarettes.

Mixed with urine

Don't forget that semen and urine come out of the same channel, namely the urethra.

Residual urine in the urethra can mix with sperm and turn their nice color yellow.

Jaundice

The condition of jaundice or jaundice occurs due to the buildup of bilirubin in the body.

Bilirubin is a pigment that results from the breakdown of red blood cells in the liver.

The yellow color can also appear on the whites of the eyes, on the skin of the nails, to the previously good sperm.

Leukocytospermia

Too many white blood cells in semen can damage sperm and turn the color of good sperm yellow.

The causes of leukocytospermia can come from prostate infection, sexually transmitted diseases, or autoimmune diseases.

Prostate infection

Bacteria in the urinary tract can move to the prostate gland and cause infection.

This disease is also characterized by difficulty urinating, painful urination and ejaculation, and a yellow or greenish color of the sperm.

3. Orange to reddish

The orange, orange, to red colors of the initially good sperm indicate fresh blood.

The main cause of this condition is inflammation, infection, blockage, and unconscious injury to the reproductive system.

Although classified as abnormal, this condition known as hemastormia is common.

Several factors can cause abnormal sperm color from usual:

Sexually transmitted disease

Sexually transmitted diseases can include herpes, chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea.

This disease also has symptoms in the form of pain when urinating, itching on the penis, pain in the testicles, and reddish discharge from the penis.

Infection and prostate surgery

Without proper treatment, infection of the prostate gland can get worse and make semen mix with blood.

Then, do not rule out the surgical procedure on the prostate gland will injure the surrounding tissue.

Blood that comes out of the wound can be carried into the urethra and out with sperm.

Excessive masturbation

In some cases, excessive ejaculation during masturbation can cause previously good sperm to turn red

This habit can trigger the discharge of blood so that the semen is reddish in color.

Another condition that can cause sperm to change color is when they haven't had an orgasm for a long time.

Cancer of the prostate, testicles, or urethra

Sperm color that was previously good but has become reddish may be a symptom of prostate, testicular, or urethral cancer.

Patients generally also experience pain in the testicles, scrotum, abdomen and lower back, and the area of the intimate organs.

4. Tan

Not only redness, but previously good sperm color can also turn brown.

This can happen because the red blood turns brown due to injury to the testicles or infection.

The color of blood that was red turns dark after being exposed to oxygen.

5. The semen is black

Almost the same as the brownish color of the sperm, the black color of the sperm usually comes from blood.

However, the blood has been in the body for a long time and has been exposed to so much oxygen that it turns dark.

In addition, black semen can also be caused by the following factors:

Exposure to heavy metals such as lead, nickel and manganese. Usually comes from contaminated food, water, or the environment.

An injury to the spine that interferes with the function of the seminal vesicles, the glands that produce sperm.

From the above conditions, it should be noted that a good sperm color is influenced by genes, diet, and overall health conditions.

Sperm discoloration that was normal is normal, as long as it is not accompanied by other worrisome symptoms.

Check immediately if the discoloration is accompanied by an unpleasant odor, yellowish discharge, irritation of the intimate organs, or painful urination.

This can indicate an infection so that it needs to be treated immediately medically to prevent infertility.