Many couples that are thinking of reproducing should individually look into certain things and being that I’m a female and my mind is constantly wondering about the future.. I’ve already looked into some things that stop fertility in women so I decided this post would be for the men. While researching the topic, I found a list of “so-called” sperm killers. The list consisted of many rumors that you may have heard, like I have and I focused on the three that were proven to be FALSE!
First off is Mountain Dew. Although there are many reasons not to drink soda, the possibility of infertility is not one of them. There is said to be no link between infertility and consuming this soft drink despite anything you have heard.
Secondly was hot tubs. While it is proven that heat affects sperm count and the quality of sperm in men, moderate use of the hot tub is just fine. This was also proven to be false unless, of course, you spend hours a day in the bubbling water.
Lastly, the list spoke about mens underwear briefs! This is definitely a rumor that I had never heard before but after asking a few friends, apparently it’s a popular one. The thought here is that because the testicles are held so tightly to the mans body, the scrotal temperature is increased possibly leading to low sperm count. The elevation in heat, however, is not enough to effect a man in such way.
You can find some actual, science related causes of infertility in men here!
http://www.everydayhealth.com/mens-health-pictures/rumored-sperm-killers-should-you-worry.aspx#09
This post is very interesting. It made me think of another myth that I have heard of. Therefore, I decided to google “IS it safe to eat fish during your pregnancy?” This is a myth I have heard ever since I was a baby, but I never knew why. I found that although fish provides a great amount of protein, certain fishes contain high levels of mercury. Mercury is not harmful to adults, but some precautions apply if you are pregnant. The FDA say that pregnant women should consume 12 ounces of seafood per week. I am glad I googled this because I have always been curious. If you want to learn more facts and statistics, check out the article I found! http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-and-fish/art-20044185
I have never heard of any of those myths about reducing sperm count in men. Those sound like ridiculous rumors. I was very surprised that excessive hot tub use could affect sperm count. This just goes to show that there are many unknown factors that can contribute to infertility in women and men. Very interesting!
It is interesting to think abut the many reasons why someone may have a hard time getting pregnant. More often then not, people automatically associate fertility issues with the women, when in reality it could be due to a sperm production problems. As you mentioned there are many false theories related to a decrease in sperm count. According the Web MD there are multiple reasons behind why men have fertility problems. For example men could have sexually transmitted diseases, birth defects, genetic diseases, sexual problems or they could suffer from hormonal problems. Click on this link to learn more about the real reasons behind why a man may have fertility issues: http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/male-fertility-test?page=2
This is a great blog because while many people will talk about infertility in women, it is rarely talked about for men. After reading your blog and doing some research, I found an interesting article that talks about another way that can affect a mans fertility. There has been a link between Men who keep cell phones in their front pocket or on a clip on their waist and infertility. The radiation that cell phones give off and the proximity to the testicles could in fact affect a mans fertility. Further research is still being done on this topic to discover how close the phone must be to do possible damage. Here is a link to learn more about cell phones causing infertility.
http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/news/20080919/cell-phone-use-linked-male-infertility