Should Are you going to change your panties by choosing the “right” underwear to wear?
There has long been a debate over whether boxers or briefs are better for your manhood and sperm quality.
But a new study of 27,000 people aims to settle this drawer debate once and for all.
Chinese researchers have discovered that tight-fitting underwear can be detrimental to sex – and not just because they’re supposed to be a huge turn-off. They could also impact men’s performance in the sack.
“Tight underwear was associated with poorer sperm quality and a higher prevalence of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation,” the authors, led by urologist Xue-Chun Hu of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), wrote in the Asian Journal of Andrology.
Tight briefs have been associated with poor male reproductive health for years, with even sperm banks recommending boxers for better sperm counts and, in theory, better fertility.
But large-scale evidence has remained limited – until now.
To see if the form was followed dysfunction in underwear, researchers recruited 27,000 male participants, making it the largest study of its kind, Science Alert reported.
They then compared the sperm quality of those who wore loose-fitting boxers with those of their counterparts wearing tight, white clothing, making sure to take into account habits such as smoking and drinking as well as pre-existing conditions.
They found that, overall, sperm donors who wore tighter underwear generally produced less baby batter – and of poorer quality.
Those who had closer-fitting underwear were also 108% more likely to have more sperm with fragmentation or DNA damage. A second review found that erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation were also more common among the tight-fitting underwear group.
Additionally, “prolonged use” of tight underwear “may reduce testosterone secretion and lead to sexual dysfunction,” they write, concluding that choosing looser, looser-fitting underwear may help “protect sperm quality and sexual function.”
When sperm gets hot and bothered
Why is tight-fitting underwear so bad for men’s sexual health? The idea is that testicles shouldn’t be… well, hot as balls.
For optimal sperm production, the testicles should be approximately 3.5 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than core body temperature. In theory, more ventilated boxers are better equipped to keep things comfortably cool.
Researchers in the new study noted that, compared to looser-fitting underwear, “tight briefs increase the temperature inside the scrotum by 0.5°C to 1°C (0.9 to 1.8 F).”
Do your research
The new research follows a landmark 2018 study in which Harvard researchers collected sperm samples from 656 male partners of couples seeking infertility treatment. They found that men who wore boxers had a 25% higher sperm concentration and a 17% higher total sperm count.
However, the authors only looked at men who sought fertility treatment with their partner. It was therefore possible that the results did not apply to the general population.
They also emphasized that they did not know whether the choice of underwear led to a decrease or increase in sperm count. There could be a number of other things that could disrupt the temperature there, including the fabric and type of pants.
But not all studies reach the same conclusion. A Thai study, published in July, found that there was no difference in sperm counts between those who wore tight underwear and those who wore looser fitting underwear.
They also found that although sperm volume was higher in men wearing loose-fitting underwear, sperm size and shape were better in those wearing tight-fitting underwear.
A study published in May may be even more damning: It found no difference in pregnancy outcomes between those who wore tight underwear and those who wore looser-fitting underwear.
“Results are inconsistent and clinical fertility outcomes have not demonstrated clear associations,” the authors write. “Underwear choice alone is unlikely to significantly influence fertility outcomes in men. »
What they found was that yes, tighter underwear was associated with higher temperatures. And although some studies, like this one from 2018, showed higher sperm counts in those who wore boxers, the data on sperm quality was inconsistent and pregnancy outcomes didn’t show a clear difference.
Gn world
