Patriot Health Digest
For years, the idea that using tight briefs can harm your sperm count has turned into a pervasive idea in our culture—but is there any real science to back this claim, or is it all just a rumor spread via the internet?
In a new video published to her YouTube channel, pelvic surgeon and urologist Rena Malik, MD gives her opinion, starting with the usually accepted idea that keeping your scrotum at a hotter temperature can have a bad impact on your sperm quality, making looser boxers an instantly better option.
“If you think it over, boxers give some more room for everything to breathe, and briefs are somewhat cozier and warmer,” she says. “So the belief has always been touted that maybe men should avoid briefs if they are attempting to get pregnant.”
However, when analyzing this data, Malik finds that this conclusion goes back to a ’90s study of men found no true difference between sperm quality in those who used boxers and those who used briefs, as well as only a somewhat minimal difference in the temperature of the scrotum. A new study, she says, found zero impact of a man’s underwear choice on his ability to have a child.
So as far as the quality and health of your little swimmers, it really does not matter if you want to wear briefs or boxer shorts. However, Malik stresses that using briefs can sometimes cause other health and hygiene problems like jock itch.
And as for men who opt out of using underwear completely and like to use commando, Malik likes to give some very simple but crucial advice: be very careful zipping your fly.
Underwear aside, with cold being preferred over hot, there could be another solution to the issue of sperm quality: Cold Showers.
Many health experts have long supported the idea of cold showers being a way to increase your testosterone. And while there is no direct evidence of cold showers also increasing your sperm count or quality, it makes sense that it could given that cold water can increase your testosterone.
Author: Blake Ambrose
