# Sperm fraction?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-fraction/424194>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 27, 2007, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-fraction/424194 "2007-10-27T04:08:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Codis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@Codis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Codis)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-fraction/424194/1 "2007-10-27T04:08:19Z")

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Can you obtain a DNA profile from a sperm fraction that contains no sperm?

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**Author:** ![Thalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@Thalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thalion)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2007, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-fraction/424194/2 "2007-10-27T10:02:07Z")

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I’m not sure I understand the question.

If you’re asking if we can get a DNA profile from semen that contains no sperm, then the answer is no. Sperm is the only component of semen that contains DNA.

I guess it is possible that someone might shed a few skin cells into the semen, but it would be pretty unlikely.