User:Kocurran1123/Pre-ejaculate

Prep For Peer Review:

1) Lead

The lead is underdeveloped after the addition of some of my information as well as not really accounting for the possibility of contracting HIV from pre-ejaculate.

2) Organization

The article is well organized and goes in a way that makes sense and flows well.

3) Balance

The article is balanced in the sense that there is the bare minimum of content so nothing is really unnecessary.

4) Neutrality

The article is pretty neutral other than saying something about how the men are "infected" with HIV. I think this is not neutral and puts shame on the people who have HIV. Other than that it remains pretty neutral.

5) Sources

The sources are pretty consistent and well developed. Nothing focuses too much on one and most statements are cited.

6) Overall

Overall the article is pretty good it is just underdeveloped and only contains the base of knowledge you need to understand pre-ejaculate. It could go deeper into studying people who have contributed to ideas about pre-ejaculate or different fables about where it comes from. Also more information in relation to STIs/STDs and how pre-ejaculate may contain those.

Things to To Do According to Peer Reviews:

- add to the lead 🦅

- fix citations 🦅

- add an illustration

Sections Being Edited:

Lead:

Pre-ejaculate (also known as pre-ejaculatory fluid, pre-seminal fluid or Cowper's fluid, and colloquially as pre-cum) is a clear, colorless, viscous fluid that is emitted from the urethra of the penis during sexual arousal. It is similar in composition to semen but has distinct chemical differences. The presence of sperm in the fluid is variable from low to absent. This contributes to the idea that the use of the withdrawal method to prevent pregnancy is not a very successful route. There has also been traces of HIV found in pre-ejaculate samples. Pre-ejaculate functions as a lubricant and an acid neutralizer.

Origin and composition:

The fluid is discharged from the urethra of the penis during arousal, masturbation, foreplay or at an early stage during sexual intercourse, some time before the individual fully reaches orgasm and semen is ejaculated. It is primarily produced by the bulbourethral glands (Cowper's glands), with the glands of Littré (the mucus-secreting urethral glands) and the seminal vesicles (the two glands that produce the alkaline based fluid, fructose, and other nutrients that neutralize the vagina and support sperm survival) also contributing. The amount of fluid that is issued varies widely among individuals. Some individuals do not produce any pre-ejaculate fluid, while others emit as much as 5 ml (0.18 imp fl oz; 0.17 US fl oz).

Pre-ejaculate fluid contains chemicals associated with semen, such as acid phosphatase, but other semen markers, such as gamma-glutamyltransferase, are absent. Pre-ejaculate, as produced by the bulbourethral glands, is a mucus-rich alkaline based fluid. Some of this fluid created leaves the urethra in what we know as pre-ejaculate but some remains to combine with semen during ejaculation.

Functions and Risks:

Pre-ejaculate neutralizes residual acidity in the urethra caused by urine and lubricates the urethra, creating a more favorable environment for the passage of sperm. The vagina is normally acidic, so the deposit of pre-ejaculate before the emission of semen may change the vaginal environment to promote sperm survival. Pre-ejaculate also acts as a lubricant during sexual activity, and plays a role in semen coagulation.

Low levels or no sperm exists in pre-ejaculate, although studies examined small samples of men. Two contrary studies found mixed evidence, including individual cases of a high sperm concentration. Another study found sperm in only a limited amount of the total pre-ejaculate collected and of those sperm contents most were in small clumps and seemingly immobile. Popular belief – dating to a 1966 Masters and Johnson study – stated that pre-ejaculate may contain sperm that can cause pregnancy, which is a common basis of argument against the use of coitus interruptus (withdrawal) as a contraceptive method. However, this argument has never been proven in a controlled experiment because pre-ejaculate is usually assumed to contain sperm. Much of the research that has comprised the study of pre-ejaculate has mixed data results due to small sample size, selection bias, dried preparations (meaning movement and volume could not be identified), or not separating sperm and pre-ejaculate into two separate categories. This has made it difficult to draw any real and nuanced conclusions.

Studies have demonstrated the presence of HIV in most pre-ejaculate samples from men who have tested positive for the virus. One specific study found macrophages and CD4 lymphocytes present in a majority of pre-ejaculate samples found, meaning HIV was indeed present.