If you’re trying to conceive, do you need to change your underwear from boxers to briefs?
No doubt heat kills sperm. The testes live outside of the abdomen for a good reason. They need to be cool, about 4 degrees C cooler than body temperature. Testes that don’t descend, a condition called “cryptorchidism,” have real problems making sperm. Ovaries obviously don’t have this sensitivity to heat; they’re perfectly happy living in the abdomen.
The real question is: how much heat kills sperm? Crossing your legs increases your scrotal temperature by about 1 degree C, and it’s difficult to imagine that every man who crosses his legs is going to have a hard time impregnating his wife. Form fitting underwear, or briefs, raise it by a similar amount. Putting a laptop on your lap increases your scrotal temperature by about 1.5 degrees C or so.
So you probably shouldn’t worry about wearing boxers or briefs, but stay away from cooking your testes in a jacuzzi or sauna while you’re trying to conceive. Save that for stress reduction after the baby’s born.
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Good stuff, I enjoyed your explanation for the action of clomiphene since my doctor has prescribed it.
Thanks for the feedback, Jack.
Thanks for the wonderful articles! I will probably read all of them in a day or two.