Why you could fail to get your wife pregnant

For men who want children, sperm count and sperm quality are very important factors.

Men often throng the Internet seeking information about what activities and behaviors are harmful to sperm cells.

Many myths and rumours about what affects sperm cells have surfaced.

However, according to EverydayHealth, a magazine which specialises on matters health, most activities men engage in don’t hurt their fertility.

The magazine sought experts’ opinion about so-called sperm killers in the rumor mill so you can get the truth about what affects sperm quality and what doesn’t.

Rumored Sperm Killer: Laptops

EverydayHealth says: “In terms of both sperm count and sperm quality, there is some evidence that a laptop with a Wi-Fi connection might be a sperm killer.”

In a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, samples of sperm were collected from 29 men and stored either normally or under a laptop with a wireless connection.

The sperm in the laptop sample had decreased motility and more DNA damage was done to it – factors that could hurt chances of reproduction.

Ryan Terlecki, MD, an assistant professor of urology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., said heat is yet another factor with laptops that might affect quality of sperm.

“It is well established that heat has the ability to adversely affect semen parameters,” Dr. Terlecki said.

Rumored Sperm Killer: Hot Tubs

You probably don’t need to worry about a hot tub being a sperm killer unless you’re spending hours in it every other day, said Robert Kaufmann, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Waco, Texas.

“There has been an association with hot tubs and heat in the scrotal area and decreased sperm counts, although moderate exposure to hot tubs does not appear to create a problem,” he explained.

You should at all cost avoid prolonged exposure.

Rumored Sperm Killer: Tight underwear

Tight briefs are often implicated as sperm killers, which time and again lead to infertility because the testicles are held tightly against the body.

However, Dr Kaufmann said the concerns about sperm quality and sperm count are largely unfounded.

“Most wives will have their husbands switch to boxers, but they do not need to do so,” he said.

“The thought is that briefs keep the scrotal temperatures elevated and could damage sperm, but the impact is not enough to make a difference for men’s health.”

Rumored Sperm Killer: Cell Phones

Cell phones have massive impact on sperm count and sperm quality.

A review article from the University of California, Berkeley, looked at the findings of several studies on the topic.

Eight of nine results showed a negative impact on men’s sperm counts traced to cell phones, more so when the phones are kept in a trouser pocket.

Terlecki said: “The data on cell phones in regard to sperm detriment is growing.”

“Cell phones emit radiation in the form of electromagnetic waves, which may have adverse effects on the cells necessary for development of sperm within the testicle.”

Rumored Sperm Killer: Smoking

Smoking is with no doubt a sperm killer according to many health experts.

Over the years, research have found a higher chance of sperm count and sperm quality problems among men who are grave smokers, and additional study suggests smoking negatively affects sperm chromosomes.

“Interestingly enough, smoking may even impact the DNA of the sperm — best to avoid it,” Kaufmann noted.