The findings of this study, conducted in the
Fertility Clinic at Massachusetts
General Hospital, suggest that certain styles of men’s underwear may
inhibit production of sperm. “These results point to a
relatively easy change that men can make when they and their partners are
seeking to become pregnant,” said Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, lead author of
the study and research scientist at the Harvard Chan School.
While previous research has shown that
elevated scrotal temperatures can adversely affect testicular function, studies
on whether and how different styles of underwear may impact sperm production
have been inconsistent.
For this study, the largest of its kind to
look at underwear and semen quality, researchers collected information and
semen samples from 656 men who were part of couples that were seeking treatment
at a center. The men, who were between the ages of 32 and 39, completed a
survey that included questions about the style of underwear they wore in the
previous three months. Options included boxers, jockeys, bikini, briefs, and
other.
Among the study participants, 53% reported
usually wearing boxers. Analysis of semen samples showed that these men had 25%
higher sperm concentrations and 17% higher total sperm counts when compared
with men who did not primarily wear boxers. Men who wore boxers also had higher
percentages of motile sperm, or sperm that are capable of moving through the
female reproductive system and fertilizing an egg. The most significant
difference in sperm concentration was seen between men who wore boxers and men
who wore jockeys and briefs.
In addition, analysis of blood samples
collected from 304 of the study participants showed that men who wore boxers
had 14% lower levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) compared with men
who didn’t wear boxers. FSH is known to play an important role in male
fertility and is associated with sperm production. The simultaneous presence of
lower sperm counts and higher FSH among men wearing tight-fitting underwear
suggests the presence of a compensatory mechanism whereby the decreased sperm
production among men in tighter underwear signals the brain to boost production
of hormones that stimulate the activity of the gonads to try to increase sperm
production.
“Beyond providing additional
evidence that underwear choices may impact fertility, our study provides
evidence, for the first time, that a seemingly random lifestyle choice could
have profound impacts on hormone production in men at both the level of the
testis and the brain,” said Jorge Chavarro, senior author of the
study and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology.
For more information on fertility treatment,
contact the best fertility specialist in Nigeria, Dr. Michael Ogunkoya (+2348033069466). He was trained in the best
medical schools in USA, London, Canada, Wales and Hungary. He is the medical
director of The Hope Valley Fertility
Clinic.
The Hope Valley Fertility Clinic
Plot 31, Block 113,
Gbemileke Akinsonwon Street, Opposite Treasure Garden, By Ikate Roundabout,
Lekki Phase 1, Lagos-Epe Express Way, Lagos.
+2348033069466
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