Treating 'Down There' With Care: How Your Sperm Is Affected

Understanding sperm

To understand sperm count and how this could affect fertility, it's important to understand the basics of sperm. A male's body begins producing sperm at puberty and continues throughout his life. Every day, around 50–100 million viable sperm are produced, but they go through a maturation cycle of around 74 days until they are able to move on their own.

The body then stores this mature sperm in a tube at the back of the testicles, and is released when you ejaculate. If you don't ejaculate for a while, the sperm sits in storage before being reabsorbed into the testes in prolonged circumstances. But what happens to your sperm during this time and does it affect fertility?

Let's talk about ejaculation

There is no difference between ejaculating inside a body or outside in relation to your fertility. The only thing to bear in mind is that ejaculating inside a female body increases the woman's chances of getting pregnant.

Some research has suggested that intercourse with ejaculation several times a week amounts to good sperm quality. But what does that mean, and is it true?

Good sperm quality refers to the motility (movement) and morphology of the sperm, which is essentially how quickly the sperm travels and its shape. A healthy sperm reaches the egg quickly, and penetrates it easily due to its rounded head. If it's shaped differently or abnormally, it won't be able to do this, making conception difficult.

Research has found that if you don't ejaculate for a number of weeks, the motility and shape of the sperm is marginally affected. If you are actively trying to conceive with your partner, therefore, the best chances of getting presence with optimal quality sperm is produced after 2-3 days with ejaculation, but it's key to remember that this is not the be-all-and-end-all to getting pregnant and won't guarantee conception. Many other factors are also at play.

To masturbate or to not masturbate?

The research findings above also apply to frequent masturbation. Masturbation is a topic shrouded in myths, and one of the most common is that the amount you masturbate, and therefore ejaculate, correlates with the density of your sperm count. This has led some men to stop masturbating frequently, particularly during the period of actively trying to conceive, in order to improve chances. However, as we've seen, this is to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Semen retention (e.g. the myth that not ejaculating will improve energy, sexual pleasure and hormonal health) has not been proven to improve fertility. How much semen you produce on ejaculation and the amount of sperm in that does increase after a few days of not masturbating, but then sperm quality decreases. Very frequent masturbation (3 or 4 times a day), therefore, can deplete your sperm reserve, but this happens so rarely, particularly when you're trying to conceive, that it's not something to worry about too much.

From another perspective, masturbation is great for your hormonal health, reducing stress and improving sleep, as well improving the quality of your sex life, lowering prostate cancer, and reducing the risk of heart disease.

Polishing the Crown Jewels

Masturbation doesn't have to come at the expense of penis and sperm health. Taking care of down there also means caring for the skin of the penis, and you can do this and make yourself feel good at the same time. Made with coconut and shea, our Solo Cream moisturises, soothes and protects your penis, leaving your skin soft as well as advancing your orgasm by engaging your nerve endings and giving you more control.

Addressing your undies

People have been saying that wearing 'tighty whities' can affect your fertility since the 1990s, and whilst you may have always thought it was just an old wives' tale to put you off strutting around the pool in budgie smugglers, research has found some truth in the claim.

Sperm cells are particularly sensitive to changes in temperature (which is why the testicles which store the sperm sit outside of the body!). While the average human body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius, the ideal temperature for sperm production is 34. This means that wearing tight underwear means that the testicles are held closer to the body, causing them to be warmer.

A recent study in 2018 found that evidence does suggest that wearing tighter underwear does affect the semen and sperm production of the body! This is why it's important to choose the right underwear to take care of down there properly. JustWears is committed to reimagining traditional underwear with a focus on comfort. The brand's ingenious patented pouch design separates the 'plums from the banana,' providing much-needed breathing space, banishing ride-up, chafing, and sweaty discomforts. They say ‘It’s a palace for his phallus!’ Made from MicroModal Air (a form of Viscose derived from wood pulp), the underwear is incredibly breathable, anti-bacterial, and moisture-wicking, ensuring a cool and hygienic experience all day long.

From your underwear to how much you masturbate, your sperm can be affected by how you choose to treat down there, even if it's ever so slightly. That's why it's important to give your banana and plums the care they deserve.