There are a various styles of underwear for men. However, one may be more beneficial for sperm production, according to a new report.
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Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health recently conducted a study, published in the Human Reproduction journal, to determine if certain types of underwear inhibit sperm production.
To do so, they collected information and semen samples from 656 men, aged 32 to 39, who were part of couples that were seeking treatment at a fertility center. The subjects completed a survey that included questions about the kind of underwear—boxers, jockeys, bikini, briefs and other—they wore in the previous three months.
After analyzing the results, they found that those who usually wore boxers (53 percent) had 25 percent higher sperm concentrations and 17 percent higher total sperm counts, compared to men who did not primarily wear boxers. Guys who mostly picked boxers over other styles also had higher percentages of sperm that can move through the female reproductive system and fertilize an egg.
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They noted they saw the biggest difference in sperm concentration between those who chose boxers and those wore jockeys or briefs.
Furthermore, when they examined the blood samples taken from 304 of the participants, they found that men who wore boxers had 14 percent lower levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FHS), which is associated with sperm production.
"The simultaneous presence of lower sperm counts and higher FSH among men wearing tight-fitting underwear suggests the presence of a compensatory mechanism whereby the decreased sperm production among men in tighter underwear signals the brain to boost production of hormones that stimulate the activity of the gonads to try to increase sperm production," the authors wrote in a statement.
The team said their study was the largest of its kind to look at underwear and semen quality, and they believe their findings prove men can make an “easy change” to help boost their chances of achieving pregnancy.
“Our study provides evidence,” they said, “for the first time, that a seemingly random lifestyle choice could have profound impacts on hormone production in men at both the level of the testis and the brain.”
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