Is it possible to get pregnant from dried sperm?

There are literally hundreds of forum threads online asking this very question, but little offered in terms of educated answers. Foreplay, masturbation, and cuddling are all common ways to get semen on hands and penis, but what happens to sperm when semen dries? And if semen comes into contact with the vagina, can a woman get pregnant? Can a woman get pregnant from precum, which is actually not dried semen?

Sperm love warm, wet places

There is one common topic among all the questions about sperm – can sperm live in dried semen? The short answer is no. Once semen dries, sperm is dead, so there is no chance of pregnancy if you touch her vagina with dried semen on your hands, but the same cannot be said for the penis. While the dried semen on your penis does not contain any live sperm, a clear liquid can seep out of the urethra while you’re playing around and that clear liquid can contain sperm. Pregnancy does not require complete ejaculation of semen to achieve pregnancy. As they say – it only takes one sperm to make a baby. 

The bigger problem may not be dried semen

Most of the forum posts and questions are asked by teens who are scared to death of getting their girlfriends pregnant. Unplanned pregnancy, at any age, is avoidable. Teens who are sexually active should wear protection 100% of the time, even during foreplay. Teens may not have the emotional control or maturity to consider the long-term ramifications of unprotected intercourse in the heat of the moment. 

Let us break down pregnancy risk in simple, yet common situations:

• If the penis enters the vagina unprotected, there is a chance of pregnancy. 
• Pre-ejaculate or Precum may contain sperm and thus could cause pregnancy. 
• Pregnancy does not require the man or women to have an orgasm. 
• Air does not kill sperm but once completeky dried, sperm is dead. 

The best way to protect against stress associated with “could she be pregnant?” is to practice protected sex.