Having hot showers could affect men's fertility, studies suggest.
An estimated one in six people globally will experience infertility in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Men's fertility can be affected by a number of factors, including those we can't control like our genetics, but our lifestyle choices can also have a significant impact.
Sperm are very sensitive to heat—there's a reason they're kept on the outside of the body—and prolonged or repeated exposure to extreme temperatures can affect sperm concentration and motility.
Justin Chu, medical director at TFP Oxford Fertility in the U.K., told Newsweek: "It is recommended that you avoid hot showers and baths to ensure that sperm health is optimized. The life cycle of sperm is 90 days, and if the scrotum is too warm the motility and shape of the sperm cells can be negatively impacted, making it harder for the sperm to reach and penetrate the egg for natural conception to take place."
A study published in 2007 found that men who showered at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for at least 30 minutes a week over a three-month period had a 22 percent lower sperm motility. Other small-scale studies have shown similar results following the long-term use of saunas, and among men who sit with warm laptops on their thighs or wear very tight underwear.
So, what is the optimum water temperature for showering if you are trying to conceive?
"Taking colder showers is thought to improve the quality and movement of your sperm," Chu said. "The ideal temperature for sperm production is around 34 to 35 degrees Celsius [93 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit], a few degrees lower than body temperature ... Therefore, it's recommended that you keep showers around this similar temperature."
Luckily, the negative impacts of hot showers (and other heat exposure) on sperm quality are temporary. "When showering at a lower temperature, sperm production should return to normal," Chu said. "While some researchers say it can take around one week for your sperm to return to its usual function, other studies have suggested a longer period, around two months. The actual time frame is unknown and could depend on the individual."
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References
Hassun Filho P. A. (2007). Re: Wet heat exposure: a potentially reversible cause of low semen quality in infertile men. International braz j urol : official journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology, 33(2), 269–270. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1677-55382007000200023
Garolla, A., Torino, M., Sartini, B., Cosci, I., Patassini, C., Carraro, U., & Foresta, C. (2013). Seminal and molecular evidence that sauna exposure affects human spermatogenesis. Human reproduction (Oxford, England), 28(4), 877–885. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/det020
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