Swallowing Semen

Some reasons for human ingestion of human or other semen are erotic gratification and physical and spiritual benefits. The most common way that swallowing of semen occurs is when fellatio or irrumatio are performed to climax.

Men may consume their own semen after masturbation, sex, or autofellatio.

Nutritional value

Semen is primarily water, but contains trace amounts of almost every nutrient the human body uses. It has somewhat higher amounts of commonly deficient minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, and selenium.

One typical ejaculation contains 150 mg of protein, 11 mg of carbohydrates, 6 mg fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 7% US RDA potassium and 3% US RDA copper and zinc.

When metabolized, protein yields 4 kcal/g, carbohydrate also yields 4 kcal/g, and fat yields 9 kcal/g. Hence the food energy in the typical ejaculation is 0.7 kcal (2.9 kJ).

Health risks

There is no risk in ingesting the semen of a healthy man. Swallowing semen carries no additional risk other than those inherent in fellatio.

Fellatio does carry some risk for sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV or herpes, however, HIV and all other viruses are inhibited by saliva and destroyed by stomach acid.

Research has suggested that performing unprotected oral sex on a person infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) might increase the risk of oral or throat cancer.

The study found that 36 percent of the cancer patients had HPV compared to only 1 percent of the healthy control group. It is believed that this is due to the transmission of HPV because this virus has been implicated in the majority of cervical cancers.

Even if semen is cold before the individual ingests it, viruses can stay active for a long period of time once outside the body. Contracting diseases from oral sex is more likely if there are sores in the mouth.

Taste and quantity

One source has noted that "few women praise the taste" of semen. Although it is commonly reported that the taste of semen is significantly influenced by diet, there are no scientific studies that indicate which foods do so, nor are there likely to ever be.

The volume of semen ejaculate varies. A review of 30 studies concluded that the average was around 3.4 milliliters (ml), with some studies finding amounts as high as 4.99 ml or as low as 2.3 ml. Younger males tend to produce larger quantities.

Cultural practices

In some cultures, semen is attributed with special properties of masculinity. Several tribes of Papua New Guinea, including the Sambia and the Etoro, believe that semen provides sexual maturation among the younger men of their tribe.

To them, sperm possesses the manly nature of the tribal elders, and in order to pass down their authority and powers, younger men of their next generation must fellate their elders and ingest their semen. This custom commences among prepubescent males and postpubescents.

This act may also be attributed to the culturally active homosexuality throughout these and other tribes.

Spiritual views

The church father Epiphanius records that the Borborites and other libertine Gnostic sects consumed semen as the Body of Christ. The ''Pistis Sophia'' and ''Testimony of Truth'' harshly condemn such practices.

In the modern St. Priapus Church, consumption of semen in the presence of others is a form of worship. It is esteemed as sacred because of its divine life-giving power. Some chapters of the

Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica practice the consumption of semen during the Gnostic Mass, composed by Aleister Crowley.

Sexual practices

There are several sexual practices involving the ingestion of semen. They can be done with one or more partners, like snowballing, felching and creampie eating, or with multiple partners, like the practices of bukkake and gokkun, which originate from Japan.