CohortHumann = 11 men2007
Wet heat exposure: a potentially reversible cause of low semen quality in infertile men.
Plain-language summary
This study looked at whether stopping hot tubs, hot baths and whirlpools improves semen quality in infertile men. Eleven men with a regular wet heat habit were assessed before and after they stopped, with total motile sperm count and motility measured each time. Nearly half improved, with average motility rising from 12 percent to 34 percent. The study suggests that wet heat lowers semen quality and that stopping it reverses part of the damage in some men. The men who did not improve were more often smokers.
Key findings
- In 45 percent of the men, total motile sperm count improved clearly after they stopped using wet heat.
- Among those men, average sperm movement rose from 12 percent to 34 percent.
- The men who did not improve were more often smokers.
How to analyze the study yourself
- Study type
- Cohort studies track a group over time to see how changes in exposure affect outcomes, but they cannot prove cause and effect because other factors may influence the results.
- Population
- The study included infertile men with a history of regular wet heat exposure.
- Funding
- Not reported
- Takeaway
- This study found that in infertile men with a regular hot tub or hot bath habit, stopping it raised average sperm motility from 12 percent to 34 percent, in 45 percent of them. If you use a hot tub or take long hot baths and you are trying to conceive, it may be worth stopping for a few months before you draw any conclusion about your sperm, because a sample taken now is reporting the heat.