Can You Drink Sperm During Pregnancy?

When you're expecting, the reality of pregnancy makes you ask questions that would have seemed unimaginable in your pre-kid days. What you eat, touch, and even breathe can affect your health in many ways, so you may find yourself wondering about the safety of some kind of off-the-wall things. For instance, can you drink sperm during pregnancy, and what else should you know about safe oral sex during this time of your life? The answer may be a bit more complicated that you would think.

In general, if you're in a monogamous relationship with a partner who does not have any STIs, then ingesting semen should not cause any complications, as explained by Baby Center. And, as Baby Center further explained, there is nothing about the semen itself that could endanger your developing baby. Although it's easy to think that semen and sperm are the same, in actuality sperm only make up about one percent of semen's contents; the rest is composed of proteins, vitamins, and minerals, according to Greatist. Nothing about it would necessarily harm you or your baby.

However, if you're with a partner who might have an STI, then it may be a good idea to exercise caution. According to the American Sexual Health Association, infections such as syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea can be transferred through oral sex. Although these infections are generally not the end of the world (most can be cleared up with a dose of antibiotics, as noted by WebMD), they may be more troublesome when you're pregnant. For instance, syphilis can travel across the placenta and potentially affect your baby, as noted in Baby Center.

Again, this is not necessarily the worst thing ever — if you get it diagnosed and treated soon enough, you'll probably be fine — but it's understandable if you want to do everything in your power to keep you and your baby safe during this time. You can take a cue form Planned Parenthood and rely on condoms or dental dams to be extra careful. In general, though, as long as you and your partner are aware of your STI status and comfortable communicating that information, you can continue to enjoy a healthy oral sex life during pregnancy.