SEMEN AND SEMINAL STAIN

SEMEN AND SEMINAL STAIN

The examination of semen and seminal stain
is an important part in the routine investigation
of sexual offenses like:
• Rape
• Adultery
• Sodomy
• Bestiality
• Sexual homicide
 WHERE SEMEN CAN BE FOUND
• AS FRESH in the vaginal contents and rectal
contents of the victim.
• AS WET OR DRIED in hair and skin around the
genitals
• AS DRIED STAINS in underclothing and bed
sheets.
 SEMEN
• A whitish fluid of the male reproductive tract
consisting of spermatozoa suspended in
secretion of accessory glands.
 PARTS OF THE SEMEN

1. Seminal fluid – has characteristic alkaline odor

• Viscous, gelatinous and sticky
• It is milky and turbid in appearance and contains
filaments and grains
• Slightly alkaline in reaction (pH 7.2 – 8.0)
• Coagulation begin immediately after ejaculation
• It liquefy when exposed to air. Complete
liquefaction takes about fifteen minutes
probably due to enzymatic reaction.
 PARTS OF THE SEMEN
2. Formed cellular elements:
a. Spermatozoa or sperm cell – small objects with
pear shaped head with a short neck and a tail about
ten times as long as the head.
b. Epithelial cells
c. Crystal of choline and lecithin
• Choline – water soluble essential nutrient
grouped with in the vit. B complex
• Lecithin – yellow-brown fatty substance found in
plants, animals and egg yolk
 SEMEN
• Normal quantity of semen - 1.5 to 3.5 mL in a
single ejaculation
• Normal numbers of spermatozoa/sperm count
in a healthy young man – 400 to 500 million
CASES WHERE IN EJACULATION HAS NO SPERMATOZOA

Males suffering from aspermia and oligospermia, this

may be due to excessive sexual intercourse or suffering
from chronic epididymitis and other testicular diseases
or from chronic venereal disease.
• Aspermia – complete lack of semen
• Azoospermia - condition wherein there is absence of
spermatozoa in the seminal fluid.
• Oligospermia – condition where there is abnormal low
sperm counts or with few spermatozoa in the seminal
fluid.
COLLECTION OF SEMEN STAINED SPECIMENS

• Seizure of wearing apparel must be done as

soon as possible. Chemise, panties, pants and
skirts are the most common parts of wear
apparel carrying seminal stain.
• Smaller objects like hair should be placed in a
test tube and corked.
• Fluid semen should be place in a test tube.
PRESERVATION OF SEMEN STAINED SPECIMENS.

• Fluid semen may be preserved by a few drops

of toulol or 10% solution of formalin during
hot weather where there is danger of
putrefaction.
.
 PACKAGING AND TRANSIT OF SEMEN
STAINED SPECIMENS
• In packing wearing apparel there should be no
friction between the apparel and the stain.
Semen in dried condition is very brittle and
friction may cause breaking of the
spermatozoa.
• Specimen should not be rolled for transit.
Gently lay between 2 sheets of cardboard or
similar material and tied together with a string
to avoid friction.
 PACKAGING AND TRANSIT OF SEMEN
STAINED SPECIMENS
• In cases where the specimen is nearly dry, it is
most preferred to allow it to dry thoroughly
before it is transported Specimen must be
thoroughly dried before packing. Presence of
moisture can attract certain bacteria to act on
protein constituents of semen, digest the
dried protein and destroy its stiffness.
 Examinations of Semen and
Seminal stain
If semen is fresh, the examination is relatively
easier.
When undried, seminal fluid has a characteristic
alkaline odor which is easily noticeable.
The most convenient method is to examine
under the microscope, if spermatozoa is
present it can be seen under the microscope
using the HPO.
 Examinations of Semen and
Seminal stain
When seminal fluid is dry or in form of stain, the
examination may be carried out by the
following methods:
1. Physical
2. Chemical
3. Microscopic
4. Biological
 Examinations for seminal stain
1. Physical examination –
•Semen when dry gives a stiff, starchy feeling
to the cloth
•Exhibit a bluish fluorescence under the
ultraviolet light
•Grayish white, sometimes yellowish stain
•Have appearance or outline of contour map
•May have a reddish tint in case of old man
2. Chemical examination
a. Florence test – name after Dr. Florence of
Lysons who first introduced the test.
• Positive result: crystals of choline
periodide are dark brown, rhombic or
needle shaped that occur singly or in cross
or even in clusters.
2. Chemical examination
b. Barberio’s test – almost specific for human
semen. Seminal stain as old as 6 years are
said to respond to this test.
• Positive result: crystals that are slender
yellow tinted, rhomboid needles with
obtuse angle or appear as ovoid crystals.
2. Chemical examination
c. Acid phosphatase test – the best way to
locate and characterized a seminal stain.
Has replaced Florence test in reliability and
very specific for human and higher apes
• Positive result: orange-red pigment
3. Microscopic examination – main purpose is to
determine the presence of spermatozoa. The
identification of spermatozoa at present is the
only specific test for semen.
 Limitations of the microscopic test for
seminal stain
• Absence of sperm does not prove that the
stain is not semen.
• Nature of fabric, age of stain, condition to
which the stain was exposed before
reaching the lab and handling of specimen
may obstruct the detection of spermatozoa.
• Some medical jurist believes that there can
be no semen without the presence of
spermatozoa but it is not true in case of
azoospermia.
 Four examinations for seminal stain
4. Biological examination – spermato-precipitins
are of value in the identification of seminal
fluid in certain case like bestiality. This test
was originally proposed by Farnum in 1901.
OTHER STAINS OF MEDICO-LEGAL INTEREST
1. Obstetrical and Gynelogical stain – this is examine in case of
criminal abortion, infanticide and sex offenses and
determination of the origin of these stains is sometimes very
important
2. Excrements – excrements may be found at the crime scene
on paper as stains which are sometimes mixed with
obstetrical stains
adult – yellowish brown/ infants – greenish yellow
many times characteristic parts of the excrement such as fruit
cores, parasites, etc., have led to the apprehensions of the
criminal
OTHER STAINS OF MEDICO-LEGAL INTEREST

3. Paint stain – the criminal that committed the crime may have
brushed against a newly painted wall or loose water cement
paint may therefore carry some of this paints in his clothes,
like wise the tools used may carry small adherent particles of
paint, this is also very common in motor accidents and hit and
run cases.
4. Rust stain – rust stains on knives and steel weapons often
resembles dried blood stain, but they seldom have a dark and
glazed appearance and do not fall off in scales when the other
side of the blade is heated. In cloth rust stain does not stiffen
the cloth and reddish brown in color and insoluble in water but
are soluble in dilute acid.
OTHER STAINS OF MEDICO-LEGAL INTEREST

5. Synthetic dyes – often resembles old blood stain but

easily recognized by treating them with strong acids and
alkalis
6. Mineral stain – due mostly to red paints containing oxides
of iron. Can be differentiated from blood stains by
dissolving in HCl and then testing for iron.
7. Stains of vegetable in origin – stain resembling blood may
be produced by fruit juices of some fruits. They can be
differentiated from blood when their color changed to
greenish yellow upon addition of ammonia and can be
bleached by chlorine water..