SAN FRANCISCO - A new study finds that indulging in too many long hot tub baths or in jacuzzis can hamper male fertility. The details of the study appear in the latest issue of the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.
The paper, which is a result of a three-year study, said that men should avoid hot temperatures so that their sperm are not overheated. The study followed 11 infertile men for three years and found that in five of the men, sperm counts soared by over 490 percent once they stopped having hot baths.
Previous research has demonstrated that if men wear tight underwear or get excess heat from laptop use, their fertility will be affected.
The present study used wet-heat exposure as the criteria in demonstrating the adverse effect of higher temperatures on sperm. Men recruited for the study were regulars at Jacuzzis, saunas and steam baths and took them for at least 30 minutes per week.
"It has been believed for decades that wet-heat exposure is bad for fertility, as an old wives' tale, but this effect has rarely been documented," said lead researcher Dr. Paul J. Turek of the University of California, San Francisco. "We now have actual evidence to show patients that these recreational activities are a real risk factor for male infertility."
However the study did not examine sperm quality, it just focused on sperm counts. Of the remaining six men, whose sperm counts showed no increase in the study, five were chronic smokers. Researchers said that this could be a cause for decreased sperm counts.
