Although years of debate have surrounded the controversy about whether wearing briefs could affect men’s fertility, new research appears to finally have an answer.
The research on fertility and underwear
Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health studied 656 men between the ages of 18 and 56 who were dealing with infertility. They took blood and semen samples and had the men answer questions about whether they typically wore briefs, boxers, bikinis or so-called jockeys or other tight underwear.
They found that, compared to men who don’t normally wear boxes, the men who normally wore boxers (about 50%) had:
- a 25% higher sperm concentration
- a 17% higher total sperm count
- 33% more swimming sperm ‘
- 14% lower serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
Between men who wore boxers and those who wore jockeys or briefs, there was a great statistical difference in sperm quality.
FSH levels and fertility
The study authors believe that FSH gets activated and increases to make up for the testicular damage that tighter underwear causes.
As the lead researcher, Dr. Lidia Minguez-Alarcon, points out, “We were able to find a potential compensatory mechanism whereby decreased sperm production relating to the type of underwear signals to the hypothalamus to increase secretion of gonadotropin. [Gonadotropin is] a hormone that acts on the testes and that is reflected by the increased levels of FSH. This process is the body’s way of trying to increase sperm production.
Of course, it’s important to note that the participants in the study were involved because they were already seeking treatment for infertility.
So, while more research is needed to confirm the hypothesis, the study does seem to point to the notion that tight underwear may affect fertility. In this case, if you’re trying to avoid a decrease in fertility, it’s easy enough to modify your underwear choices with little repercussion. Better safe than sorry.
