Beej Shudhi@360

You’ve probably heard before that tight underwear or pants can harm male fertility. Research so far has produced mixed results, but there is some evidence that suggests wearing tight garments lowers sperm production and therefore making it harder to conceive. If you’re trying to have a baby, you may want to pay attention to this information and adjust your wardrobe accordingly. As a matter of fact, overly tight clothing can cause a number of health issues for both men and women.

Tight pants, in particular, can lead to urinary tract infections, over-active bladders, and even twisted testicles. When it comes to sperm however, the problem isn’t the constriction that tight garments cause; it’s the heat.

The testicles function best when they are slightly cooler than body temperature. That’s why they hang outside of the body. Tight underwear or pants push the testicles up against the body, subsequently increasing their temperature. This increased temperature causes reductions in sperm count and can also decrease sperm motility.

References

• Tight-fitting underwear and sperm quality.
  Tiemessen CH, Evers JL, Bots RS.
  Lancet. 1996 Jun 29;347(9018):1844-5.
• Are boxer shorts really better? A critical analysis of the role of underwear type in male subfertility.
  Munkelwitz R and et al
  The Journal of Urology. 1998 Oct;160(4):1329-33.
• Influence of the type of under trousers and physical activity on scrotal temperature.
  Jung A and et al
  Hum Reprod. 2005 Apr;20(4):1022-7.
• Influence of genital heat stress on semen quality in humans.
  Jung A and et al
  Andrologia. 2007 Dec;39(6):203-15.
• Effect of Posture and Clothing on Scrotal Temperature in Fertile Men
  Roger Mieusset and et al
  Journal of Andrology, Vol. 28, No. 1, January/February 2007
• Mild induced testicular and epididymal hyperthermia alters sperm chromatin integrity in men.
  Ahmad G and et al
  Fertility and Sterility. 2012 Mar;97(3):546-53.
• Male fertility crisis fears as sperm counts fall... and scientists blame everything from diet to tight underwear
  Richard Sharpe,
  The journal Human Reproduction. 2012
• Lifestyle factors and reproductive health: taking control of your fertility
  Rakesh Sharma and et al
  Reproductive Biolology and Endocrinology. 2013; 11: 66