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. Barberios 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 spermatoprecipitins 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 INTERES

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..