Are short shorts bad for your sperm?

Recently it became official, or as official as GQ could make it: The men’s magazine declared this the “summer of short shorts.” Oscar-nominated actor Paul Mescal showed up at a movie premiere rocking a very abbreviated inseam. “I’m a fan of the short inseam,” he declared. Czech tennis star Tomas Machac has also drawn social-media buzz this season for his taste in super-short shorts.

“In gyms, on beaches, in streets, in bars, clubs, and in razor-sharp thirst traps, short shorts have prevailed,” GQ said around Memorial Day of 2024. “A display of ample thigh has been the summer ideal for men… the summer of 2024 is destined for slutty menswear and the people who love it once more.”

That means it’s necessary to leave no testicular-proximate stone unturned. Is it possible that what makes you a freak in the streets may not be great in the sheets, or for your sperm?

Key takeaways

• There’s no research that looks specifically at the impact of short shorts on sperm health.
• We know from research on other clothing choices, like boxers vs. briefs, that looser, lighter clothing benefits sperm production.
• Tighter clothing can increase testicular temperature and compression, potentially lowering sperm count and quality.

How short shorts could affect your testicles

The main issues with hoochie daddy shorts are temperature and compression. In short, short shorts are more likely to squeeze and overheat the testes.

Sperm are produced in the testicles, which hang outside and away from the body for a very good biological reason. Sperm production happens optimally at about 93.2ºF, about 5º cooler than core body temperature. This is why the testicles retract or descend based on exposure to hot and cold. Anything that’s holding them too close to the body isn’t ideal for sperm production.

Stephanie Sabourin, an andrology-certified nurse and Legacy’s Director of Clinical Services, says short shorts could pose a threat to sperm.

“You could debate both sides, couldn’t you?” she says. “Shorter shorts could be better ventilated, compared to something like skinny jeans, which may be more restrictive. But if they’re tight or hugging anything, they could be causing more harm than the benefits you’re getting from increased ventilation… I think, ultimately, they’re not good.”

“Anything you do that impacts scrotal temperature — from the clothing you wear to hot yoga class, hot tubs, saunas, or ice baths — is going to wreak havoc on your fertility,” she says. “It’s impairing both sperm production and sperm quality. To produce and maintain sperm, it needs to be at the ideal temperature.”

“The compression factor is a whole added piece,” Sabourin adds. “Tighter clothing is going to reduce blood flow to the scrotal area,” further compromising sperm production. Plus, short shorts necessitate tighter underwear, a double insult. “You’re not wearing tight booty shorts with loose boxers,” she notes.

Learn more about boxers vs. briefs: which is better for sperm?

Dressing for optimal sperm health

If you’re concerned about your sperm health, there are a few things you should keep in mind. “For scrotal health, I always tell people, think looser and lighter clothing,” said Sabourin, who has worked in men’s health for more than a decade. “Wearing looser clothing can improve sperm parameters. It’s supported by clinical research that shows significant improvements in sperm concentration and motility.”

For example: Researchers from the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health found that, compared to men who wore tighter underwear like briefs, men who wore loose-fitting boxer shorts had better sperm.¹

Improvements included:

• 25% higher sperm concentrations and 17% higher total sperm counts.
• Higher percentages of motile sperm, or sperm that are capable of moving through the female reproductive system and fertilizing an egg.
• 14% lower levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), a hormone that drives sperm production. Higher levels in briefs-wearers suggested that their bodies were working harder to rev up production.

Of course, this research involves underwear. Specific clinical data on short shorts is lacking. (But if the trend continues, can it be far behind?)

And remember, summer is fleeting — as is fashion. Just this week British GQ proclaimed, “The short short is dead. Welcome to the era of long-ass shorts.” They may look ridiculous, but at least they’ll be good for sperm.

References

1. 1. Minguez-Alarcon et al, “Type of underwear worn and markers of testicular function among men attending a fertility center.” 2018.