When it comes to underwear, each person is free to choose which one they feel most comfortable with. And with men, the debate has always been between boxers and underpants.
Of course, there is no definite option, but an argument about fertility has long dominated this issue.
An ingrained belief is that boxers are much more beneficial to the testicles and to produce healthy sperm.
Well, thanks to science, the debate has been resolved with a new study published by the Harvard School of Public Health.
The researchers found that tight underwear is associated with reduced sperm concentration and can lead to lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the blood.
Dr. Lidia Minguez-Alarcon, the lead author of the study, said in a statement:
“An important strength of this study is that we were able to investigate the possible relationship between the type of underwear worn and indicators of testicular function, such as reproductive hormone levels and DNA damage, which were missing in all previous studies on the subject. ”
The experts conducted this study by analyzing 1,186 sperm samples from 656 different men seeking fertility treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital between 2000 and 2017.
In this issue, 304 men also took a blood sample so that they could study their levels of FSH, estradiol ( a form of estrogen) and luteinizing hormone (a hormone used in the development of reproductive cells).
They found that men who wore boxers, which made up 53 percent of the group, had a sperm concentration higher than 25 percent, a sperm count higher than 25 percent, and FSH levels lower than 14 percent than men.
They wore tight underwear. Factors that could influence sperm such as age, BMI, smoking history and the time reported between the sample and the last ejaculate were adjusted accordingly.
However, they admit that their findings could be affected by the fact that only 67 percent of the participants presented only one sample and that the circadian rhythm throughout the day can change the quality of the sperm.
In addition, these results could not be considered to represent the general public, since all samples were taken from men who were part of a fertility clinic.
Dr. Minguez-Alarcón added that in future studies they hope to observe the molecular mechanism in hormone levels and testicular damage of underwear to see if patterns arise.
She told IFL Science: “At this point, we would recommend wearing boxers or more relaxed underwear, as it is a modifiable lifestyle that could easily improve the quality of men’s semen.”
