Loose-fitting underwear could help benefit sperm production
| Updated: Aug 10, 2018, 10:56 IST
A research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that men who most frequently wore boxers had significantly higher sperm concentrations and total sperm counts when compared with men who did not usually wear boxers. The study, conducted in the Fertility Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital found 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. For the research, the researchers collected information and semen samples from 656 men who were part of couples that were seeking treatment at a fertility centre. 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 others. And they found that men who wore boxers 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 was seen in men who wore boxers and men who wore briefs.
“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. For the research, the researchers collected information and semen samples from 656 men who were part of couples that were seeking treatment at a fertility centre. 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 others. And they found that men who wore boxers 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 was seen in men who wore boxers and men who wore briefs.