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How long does it take sperm to reach an egg?

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Sperm Reaching the Egg

Here's how it works: Fertilization happens in one of the fallopian tubes, which carries an egg from an ovary to the uterus. It can take up to seven days after intercourse for sperm and egg to join and become a fertilized egg. Usually, it's because the sperm gets into the fallopian tube before the egg is released.

Here is more input and advice:

  • I would say at least a couple of hours, but it could take up to three days. Depending you your body and where the egg is in the cycle.

  • 2 TO 3 DAYS

  • The sperm that will be able to fertilize the egg will leave the cervix, at the most, 30 minutes. It does not take 3 days for the sperm to get to the fallopian tubes to ovulation. It can take minutes for at least some of the sperm to reach the fallopian tubes where they are stored waiting for the egg to pop out if it hasn't already popped out.

  • As a general rule, less than three days.

  • It takes about two hours to make the entire journey to the egg; however, some sperm are Olympic swimmers and can reach the egg in a half an hour.

  • Well from what the Doctor told me when I got pregnant, it can take anywhere from the moment it happened to 8 days after the moment. Sorry if that doesn't help any just what I was told.

  • I don't know the answer, but I will tell you what I do know. Sperm travels about 1/8 inch per minute. Sounds pretty slow until you realize Sperm is about 1/600 inch long. If you scale that up to "human" size that's about 4-5 miles / hour -- slow jogging speed. The penetration of the penis and location of the egg in the fallopian tubes is only two factors that will affect time. Not all sperm swim in the correct direction. Some "hang back" (don't know the right word) and may not move into the fallopian tubes for a 2 or 3 days. This is why you can have intercourse before ovulation and still get pregnant by sperm from a few days ago.

  • Sperm can last 3 to 5 days inside a woman. Every woman ovulates differently. People will tell you the average woman ovulate 14 days from the day you start your period


  • It takes about two hours to make the entire journey to the egg; however, some sperm are Olympic swimmers and can reach the egg in a half an hour. If no egg is available to fertilize, the sperm swim around patiently waiting to bump into one. Because there is no chemical or physical attraction of the sperm for the egg, the sperm literally must bump into the egg.

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First answer by Pawsalmighty. Last edit by Darlinw1. Contributor trust: 1 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 637 [recommend question]

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