Semen is leaking – Is that normal?

Nocturnal Emissions or Night fall

Semen coming out of your penis during sleep is pretty common and nothing to worry about at all. This can happen when you get aroused in your sleep, either due to erotic dreams that you might be having or due to a physical stimulation that your penis receives due to your movements during sleep.

This condition does NOT need intervention of any sexologist or specialist.  You won’t fall short of semen or sperms even if you have night fall every day or frequently. In all, this is totally fine and nothing to worry about.

How do you prevent night fall?

If you think that you are having too frequent night falls / nocturnal emissions or if you are spoiling your under garments or bedsheets, you can try doing the following to prevent night fall:

1. Masturbate or have sex with your partner before going to bed.
2. Practice yoga to relax your muscles before going to bed.
3. Try deviating your thoughts by getting busy at work or other activities before going to bed.

Problems with your prostate gland

Prostate gland produces seminal fluids. Also, prostate controls the opening and closing of urethra to allow semen out of the penis during ejaculation. There are two important conditions of prostate when it’s normal functionality may be disturbed – prostatitis and prostate cancer.

Prostatitis is an inflammation and enlargement of the prostate gland.

Following are the causes of prostatitis:

1. Bacterial Infection (Sometimes caused due to STDs)
2. Toxins or irritants that cause inflammation of the prostate
3. Nerve Injury that disrupts the communication from the brain to the prostate.

Prostate Cancer – the exact reason for the development of any cancer is still a lesser known subject to the medical community.  Along with semen leakage, if you are suffering from prostate cancer, you will also see the following symptoms:

1. Pain during urination
2. Pain in pelvic region
3. Bleed in semen (Hematospermia)
4. Changes in ejaculation

Treating problems of the prostate

If the cause of prostatitis is bacterial infection, it will be treated with antibiotics.  Nerve damage may be diagnosed and treated by an expert neurologist.  If your sexologist diagnoses the problem as prostate cancer, treatment depends on the location of the cancer and the extent to which it has spread.  In worst case scenarios, prostate gland may have to be removed.

Never injury – typically in your spine or in the brain

Injury to the nervous system can be due to infections, surgical errors in spine or groin, accidents / injury to the spine or brain. Advancing age can also weaken the nervous system. In order for the ejaculation to happen, proper communication from the brain to the prostate and other reproductive organs is necessary.  A weakened nervous system can result in lesser control over the organs and can result in erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction or semen leakage.

Treating nerve damage depends on the location of the damage and the extent of the damage. If your sexologist diagnoses the issue with nerves, he/she may invite a neurologist or neurosurgeon to assess the situation and will take the appropriate decision.

Side effects of medication

If you are taking any medicines for a different problem and notice that your semen is leaking after few days, you will need to talk to your doctor who prescribed the medication. He/she may change the prescription. Some Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) that are administered to treat depression or premature ejaculation can cause semen leakage.   Other problems that SSRIs can cause are:

1. Low sex drive (Low libido)
2. Delayed Ejaculation
3. Erectile Dysfunction.

Don’t take a decision to stop the SSRIs without the advice of your doctor. You will be missing treating the actual problem you visited your doctor for.

Sexual Arousal

It is very common that semen leaks when you are sexually aroused. It can happen when you are alone or when you are going to have intimate moments with your partner. Some semen can leak even after ejaculation.

There is another important thing to know here. ‘Pre-cum’ – This fluid comes out of the penis before actual ejaculation. This is not exactly semen but it can work as a lubricant. This liquid can sometimes contain ‘sperms’.  That’s the reason why doctors and medical advisors tell you that ‘pulling out’ before ejaculation doesn’t always prevent pregnancy. The sperms present in the precum can cause pregnancy. It is always advisable to wear a condom if pregnancy is not desired.  Also, you should note that, ‘pulling out’ technique does not prevent you from acquiring Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Summary on semen leakage

Semen leakage is very common and nothing to worry about. You must see a doctor only if:

1. You see blood in semen (Hematospermia)
2. You have difficulty urinating or if it is painful when urinating
3. If you semen smells bad
4. If your ejaculate doesn’t look like regular semen.
5. If your semen leakage is accompanies by premature ejaculation or ejaculatory problems or if you are having problems getting or sustaining an erection, erectile dysfunction.