PURPOSE:

To determine if spermatozoa are present in the preejaculatory penile secretion, originating from Cowper's gland.

METHODS:

DESIGN:

Prospective clinical and laboratory study.

SETTING:

Andrology and Sex Counseling Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Academic Teaching Hospital.

PATIENTS:

Five patients referred for premature ejaculation, three for excessive fluid secreted during foreplay and four normal healthy volunteers.

INTERVENTION:

Glass slide smears of preejaculatory Cowper's gland secretion obtained during foreplay from at least two different occasions, and semen samples after masturbation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Microscopic examination of air-dried smears, and routine semen analyses.

RESULTS:

None of the preejaculatory samples contained sperm. All the patients had sperm in routine sperm analyses.

CONCLUSIONS:

Preejaculatory fluid secreted at the tip of the urethra from Cowper's gland during sexual stimulation did not contain sperm and therefore cannot be responsible for pregnancies during coitus interruptus.