Tight undergarment may lead to infertility, say expert

India?s tropical climate does not favour tight male undergarments as it raises the temperature of scrotum where sperms are produced.

Tight undergarments may make you feel great, but it may also lead to infertility, say experts. “India’s tropical climate does not favour tight male undergarments as it raises the temperature of scrotum where sperms are produced”, says Dr. N P Gupta, chief urologist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Tight undergarments may also lead to low sperm-count in semen, observes Dr Gupta.

“Testes hang outside human body because it needs temperature lesser than the body’s, for efficient production of sperms. India’s traditional men gear dhoti (loincloths) worn by our forefathers were more conducive as it allowed free passage of air in and around scrotum,”, says Dr Gupta.

The other factors responsible for increasing male infertility in India, says expert, are occupational hazards, high pollution level in the cities, high-stressed life style and delayed marriages, say Dr. Gupta.

But thanks to awareness, more and more males are coming to be examined, now a days when they face problem of infertility. Dr Gupta observes that in an infertile couple, male factors may contribute to 50% of the cases. Whereas in 20% cases, male alone could be a factor and in 80%, both sexes could be responsible”, says Dr Gupta.

Apart from Infertility, urinary stones is another common disease commonly faced by Indian males. “In comparison to West, the incidence of stone disease is more common in Indian population because of hot climate and Indians’ habit of drinking less water”, says Dr Gupta.

Urinary infections, both in male and female, have shown steep rise during the recent years. “With the increase in the aged population in India the number of patients with urinary infection and cancer is going up”, says Dr Gupta.