From the time of his first ejaculation, a man becomes interested in semen and its specific qualities. Many men focus especially on how their semen may relate to penis health, wondering if changes big or small in the semen are an indication of changes in the health of the tool. Paying attention to all changes in one's body is always a good idea, so wondering about semen variation is understandable.

Semen origins

Men know that their semen bursts forth from their penis after traveling up from the testicles. If they paid attention during health class, or if their father gave them a particularly detailed "talk" during puberty, they know that semen production in the testes provides the sperm. The seminal vesicle adds many different ingredients to the mix, including the fructose that gives sperm their energy. After that, the prostate chips in some further ingredients, including the zinc that strengthens the sperm. And, finally, the bulbourethral glands add mucus, which helps the sperm to move and gives the resulting semen its familiar jelly-like consistency.

Normal semen

Starting in adolescence, boys become intimately acquainted with their semen as it pours out from the equipment. They notice how thick it is, and how sticky. Most of the time, it has a cloudy white or slightly grey cast to it; sometimes it may lean a bit more to a beige-like coloration. There's a distinct if fairly faint aroma to the semen (and therefore to the bedrooms of many adolescent boys).

"Abnormal" semen

Most of the time, a change in the color or consistency of the semen should occasion no real concern about penis health. The following are a few of the changes that men frequently encounter.

Chunkiness. Semen is naturally thick, but sometimes the thickness causes a lumpiness or chunkiness in the ejaculate. Thickness is affected by how well-hydrated a man is, so an occasional chunkiness is usually of no concern. Sometimes, however, if the chunkiness goes on for an extended period of time, it may mean that a man needs to increase his water intake on a regular and ongoing basis. If a man is well-hydrated and still has consistently lumpy semen, a doctor may want to see if testosterone levels are having an effect on this.

Greenish color. If semen moves beyond the yellow or grey family into green, this may be an indication of a more serious issue. Usually this indicates a possible STI or prostate issue. Seeing a doctor to determine if this is the case is recommended.

Reddish or brownish color. If the tint of the semen moves into the red or brown area, this may indicate that some blood has become mixed in with the semen. This is not necessarily a cause for alarm; sometimes it means that a blood vessel may have burst, and that issue usually takes care of itself fairly quickly. But a man should definitely keep an eye on this (and on the color of his urine during this time). A deep red color or a continuation of this red or brown color for more than a day or two might mean that an infection is present.

Watching one's semen for changes is part of practicing good penis health. That practice should also include the regular use of a first-class penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil). Make sure the crème contains a potent antioxidant such as alpha lipoic acid; this ingredient can aid in offsetting the harmful oxidative process in penis cell metabolism that can give a penis a wrinkled look. The crème should also include vitamin C, which is a vital structural component of blood vessels and therefore important to the erectile process.