While starting a family can be a joyous occasion, challenges to male fertility can arise from seemingly ordinary aspects of daily life.
Here are some surprising activities that might impact men’s ability to make a woman conceive:
1. Prolonged sitting
Sitting for long periods affects men’s fertility adversely. Jobs like taxi and truck driving involve prolonged sitting which can contribute to elevated scrotal temperatures and potential fertility problems.
2. Working in a hot environment
“Scrotal heating” and “scrotal hyperthermia” describe the phenomenon where prolonged heat exposure elevates scrotal temperature, hindering sperm production.
Studies dating back to the 1990s have shown a link between occupational heat exposure and reduced fertility in men. Ceramic oven operators and bakers faced greater difficulties conceiving compared to colleagues who worked in cooler environments.
Interestingly, a 1984 study showed a significant increase in sperm concentration for men using ice packs on their scrotums overnight.
3. Wearing tight underwear
A large-scale study at Massachusetts General Hospital analysed data from over 650 men seeking infertility treatment. Men who regularly wore boxers had slightly higher sperm counts and quality compared to those who wore tighter-fitting underwear like briefs or bikinis.
4. Drinking lots of alcohol
Heavy alcohol consumption disrupts sperm production, alters hormone levels, and reduces sperm quality. It can even shrink testicles and damage sperm DNA, increasing the risk of miscarriage.
