# Does semen really have a smell? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634 "2007-12-19T23:10:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/1 "2007-12-19T23:10:53Z")
I’ve been rereading _Crash_ by J.G. Ballard. In this book, the narrator is constantly talking about the smell of semen. Those of you who have seen the film may remember one such line: “[Vaughan] must have fucked a lot of women in that huge car of his. It’s like a bed on wheels. It must smell of semen.” “It does.” Maybe I could understand a car smelling of semen if it had been gradually stained with semen over a long period of time. But the novel talks about it being smelled immediately after ejaculation: “The fresh scent of his well-showered body was overlaid, first, by the smell of hash and then by the tang of Vaughan’s semen moistening the crotch of his trousers as we passed the first of the automobile crashes.” This is but one of the many references in the novel to someone smelling semen as soon as it has been expelled from the body. (I apologize for being so graphic but I’m trying to be as specific as possible.) I’ve never noticed fresh semen to have a smell, nor has any sexual partner of mine remarked on it. Does semen indeed have a smell? Does it vary from person to person? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/2 "2007-12-19T23:14:33Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] SNIP I’ve never noticed fresh semen to have a smell, nor has any sexual partner of mine remarked on it. Does semen indeed have a smell? Does it vary from person to person? [/QUOTE] Yes, fresh semen has a smell. It is not all that strong of one. I don’t know if it varies from person to person. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/3 "2007-12-19T23:16:09Z")
Without wishing to reveal too much of a personal nature, yes, it does. It’s not an unpleasant or a very strong smell, but it does have a distinct and very characteristic smell that’s very hard to qualify. I don’t quite agree with [this](http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/semen.html) website, which says “Often, semen has an odor that resembles chlorine” but I suppose there could be variations. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/4 "2007-12-19T23:17:19Z")
From my sample size of one, I would say that it does have an odor but not a very powerful one – not enough to cut through hashish, that’s for sure, nor do I think it would be perceptable in a car. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/5 "2007-12-19T23:18:49Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] I’ve never noticed fresh semen to have a smell, nor has any sexual partner of mine remarked on it. Does semen indeed have a smell? [/QUOTE] Yes indeed, a very distinctive one, but not usually overwhelming. Certain species of mushrooms can be identified in part by their “spermatic odor” ( I can think of a _Peziza_ and the false chanterelle, _Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca_, just off the top of my head ). Or as a young female friend of my acquaintance once said, after picking a random mushroom in a field and sniffing it - “huh, this smells like cum.” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/6 "2007-12-19T23:19:36Z")
There’s also a tree around here (SoCal) that smells nearly exactly like semen. I’ve always thought this, and then I learned I wasn’t crazy when a friend randomly noted once that “the semen trees are in full bloom today”. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/7 "2007-12-19T23:19:49Z")
In my limited experience, it has a faint smell that is similar to, oddly enough, Liquid Plumr. When it dries on the skin it starts to reek of rotten fish. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/8 "2007-12-19T23:24:03Z")
[QUOTE=Pasta] There’s also a tree around here (SoCal) that smells nearly exactly like semen. I’ve always thought this, and then I learned I wasn’t crazy when a friend randomly noted once that “the semen trees are in full bloom today”. [/QUOTE] My job has some trees out front that smell of rutting monkeys. I keep looking around for monkeys… ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/9 "2007-12-19T23:33:08Z")
[QUOTE=Pasta] There’s also a tree around here (SoCal) that smells nearly exactly like semen. I’ve always thought this, and then I learned I wasn’t crazy when a friend randomly noted once that “the semen trees are in full bloom today”. [/QUOTE] There’s one in the vacinity of my parent’s house in a San jose suburb. There’s a [SD collumn](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_363.html) on it, but it doesn’t conclusively ID the offending species. In my experience, semen has an odor even when fresh and gets worse as it gets older (much like urine). ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/10 "2007-12-20T00:04:10Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] There’s one in the vacinity of my parent’s house in a San jose suburb. There’s a [SD collumn](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_363.html) on it, but it doesn’t conclusively ID the offending species. In my experience, semen has an odor even when fresh and gets worse as it gets older (much like urine). [/QUOTE] Is it this kind of shrubby tree with batches of tiny white flowers? My college had them all over the place and we just called them “the spunk tree.” Ah, looking at Cecil’s column and finding pictures of the specimens in question, I’m referring to the California Privet. So find one in bloom, and then you’ll know what spunk smells like, har. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/11 "2007-12-20T00:47:44Z")
The aroma happens as it is exposed to air. Fresh out of the penis, there isn’t much, but over a few minutes, a distinctly bleachy smell is apparent. ---
**Author:** ![Sanity\_Challenged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Sanity\_Challenged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sanity_Challenged)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/12 "2007-12-20T00:56:43Z")
Hold on a minute…I’ll let you know… **opens another browser window** ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/13 "2007-12-20T01:53:05Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] The aroma happens as it is exposed to air. Fresh out of the penis, there isn’t much, but over a few minutes, a distinctly bleachy smell is apparent. [/QUOTE] Yep. It smells like Chlorox to me. When I smell Chlorox, I immediately think of spooge. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/14 "2007-12-20T02:35:28Z")
[QUOTE=snailboy] Yep. It smells like Chlorox to me. When I smell Chlorox, I immediately think of spooge. [/QUOTE] Agreed. The first time I ever spanked it many moons ago, I remember being puzzled as to how something that (drum roll) came out of my body could smell like that… ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/15 "2007-12-20T03:54:43Z")
In graduate school while setting up crystal trays I used additives such as spermine and spermidine to try to improve crystal growth. They are found in semen and protect DNA. I am certain that spermine is the major “smell” of semen as I have smelled these chemicals many times while working with them in the lab. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/16 "2007-12-20T05:38:44Z")
I’ve been in places where there was a great deal of semen (Those of you who do not know my sexual history, don’t ask). It does have a somewhat bleachy aroma; in my mind’s memory I also associate it with the smell of poppers (amyl nitrite), used in the same environments. The smell and flavor of semen differs not only between individuals, but also depending on diet, medications and especially, length of time since the previous orgasm. ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/17 "2007-12-20T07:06:57Z")
[QUOTE=Dervorin] Without wishing to reveal too much of a personal nature, yes, it does. It’s not an unpleasant or a very strong smell, but it does have a distinct and very characteristic smell that’s very hard to qualify. I don’t quite agree with [this](http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/semen.html) website, which says “Often, semen has an odor that resembles chlorine” but I suppose there could be variations. [/QUOTE] Came in here to say that my ejaculate smells of chlorine or bleach after it’s been in my uh…“used sock” for a few hours. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/18 "2007-12-20T07:10:55Z")
[QUOTE=Dervorin] Without wishing to reveal too much of a personal nature, yes, it does. It’s not an unpleasant or a very strong smell, but it does have a distinct and very characteristic smell that’s very hard to qualify. I don’t quite agree with [this](http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/semen.html) website, which says “Often, semen has an odor that resembles chlorine” but I suppose there could be variations. [/QUOTE] I was coming into this thread to say that my semen smells like cleaning chemicals. I didn’t have the word “chlorine” in mind, but now that I think of it, it’s a pretty perfect description. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/19 "2007-12-20T12:07:43Z")
> [@](#): > > The aroma happens as it is exposed to air. Fresh out of the penis, there isn’t much, but over a few minutes, a distinctly bleachy smell is apparent. In his novel **Portnoy’s Complaint** (which is about masturbation, among other things), Philip Roth describes the smell of semen as “buttermilk and Clorox”. I’m not sure that’s 100% accurate, but my experience is that there’s a definite and usually powerful odor, and that it’s not principally chlorine-like. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634/20 "2007-12-20T18:09:53Z")
In my experience, semen does have a distinctive, but difficult to describe, smell. I never smelled any that (to me) smelled of bleach. Different men’s semen tends to smell fairly similar, although there was one whose jizz smelled outright horrible–I wondered if something was wrong with him, or if it was just that he was a heavy smoker. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-semen-really-have-a-smell/430634.md?page=2)