“Boxers or briefs?” The question has become almost a cliché, but it’s a decision men make all the time. There are plenty of reasons to choose one over the other, including one’s views on how each choice may or may not affect one’s male organ health. Scientists have even gotten into the act over the years, and a new study reveals even more information to take into consideration when deciding on the daily undergarments option.

The study
Entitled “Type of undergarments worn and markers of [reproductive] function among men attending a fertility center” and published in August, 2018, in the journal Human Reproduction, this new study is the largest one yet to look at how undergarments choice might impact fertility in men. This cross-sectional study looked at 656 men, each of whom was a partner in a couple seeking to conceive a child who came to a fertility center for infertility treatment. The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

The authors state that “some epidemiological studies have investigated whether men who wear tighter undergarments, a modifiable lifestyle factor strongly related to higher scrotal temperatures have poorer semen quality, compared to men who wear looser undergarments,” but indicate that the results have been inconsistent. So the aim of this study is to help clarify whether undergarments choice impacts markers of reproductive function.

Breakdown
Reproductive fluid and blood samples were collected from men between the ages of 18 and 65, with a median age of 35.5 years. The median BMI (body mass index) was 26.3 (compared to the average for US adult males of 26.6; a score between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, but not obese). 345 men reported that they frequently wore boxers, while 311 reported that they frequently wore briefs.

Interestingly, those men in the sample who were primarily boxer wearers tended to be younger and slimmer than those who were mostly briefs wearers. They also tended to be more likely to take hot baths or use a Jacuzzi. This information had to be factored into the results, as youth and less body weight tend to increase fertility while hot baths and Jacuzzis have an association with diminishing seed quality.

When all the various factors were considered, the scientists came to several conclusions:

• Those who favored boxers had “significantly higher” seed concentration and count.

• Those who preferred briefs registered higher serum FSH levels.

• There were no differences found in other markers, like serum reproductive hormones or DNA quality of the seed.

What does this mean? Basically it means that, yes, wearing tight-fitting undergarments like briefs does have a negative impact on fertility, due to the fact that the male organ works better at seed reproduction when they are cooler, and tightness is associated with higher temperatures. But the fact that brief-wearers also make more FSH is important, as it backs up a theory that the body responds to the lower seed count by raising gonadotrophin (which is reflected in the higher FSH levels). Increasing gonadotrophin has a compensatory effect on the lower seed production.

Sao, essentially, the study suggests that yes, briefs can affect the seed production but that the raise in gonadotrophin helps to offset the decrease. However, further studies are needed to confirm this. Since the men studied were all at a fertility clinic, it is necessary to see if similar results occur among men in the general population.

Whatever a man’s undergarments preference, he needs to take steps to maintain his male organ health by regularly applying a superior male organ health creme (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). Look for a crème with both L-arginine and vitamin C. L-arginine is an amino acid which helps boost nitric oxide, which thereby helps blood vessels expand more readily. And vitamin C is a key component of collagen, a tissue in the body that gives skin its tone and elasticity and is vital for bedroom performance.

Visit http://www.menshealthfirst.com for additional information on most common male organ health issues, tips on improving sensitivity and what to do to maintain a healthy member. John Dugan is a professional writer who specializes in men's health issues and is an ongoing contributing writer to numerous websites.