To all my biological male followers and beyond, here are some handy factoids and dispelled myths surrounding some common topics on male health, as written by a fertility awareness instructor! As always, refer to a trusted healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns. 🙂
Yes, men are always fertile, but that fertility wanes over the years.
From puberty until death, a man will produce sperm continuously – meaning that he will always have the possibility of impregnating a fertile woman should genital contact occur. However, they also go through their own type of “menopause,” called “andrenopause”, in which their sperm quality wanes as they get older. The sperm is still being produced, but the chances of them fertilizing an egg are lower.
And with that said, men can still suffer from subfertility or infertility no matter their age. This means sperm are mostly misshapen, do not move correctly, or contain some other kind of defect. Sometimes erectile issues are also to blame.
High heat *may* affect sperm production.
Will using a lap top on your lap kill sperm? Do hot saunas do the same? What about tight briefs and speedos, are they okay? Will riding a bike have similar results?
Believe or not, the answer is mixed. If you continuously have testicles go through high-heat environments, no matter what the scenerio is, it could affect quality of sperm. But, if you only do any of them sparingly, it may not matter as much.
With that said, you can always play on the safe side by limiting the number of times your testicles go through heated environments. I especially recommend this to men who have subfertile sperm.
ONE way to collect a sperm sample for testing is through masturbating into a cup: but it’s not the only way
A morally acceptable way to gather sperm for testing is to have normal PIV sex, and the man wearing a perforated condom to collect the sample. For those who have moral qualms about masturbation and also condoms, using a condom with a hole in it could provide an acceptable alternative.
Sperm can be present at the tip of the penis before ejaculation, or even before pre-ejaculatory fluid is released.
Sperm have a tendency to wander. And it makes sense: it’s their job to move around, it’s how they find an egg! Regardless of whether a man is erect or ejaculating, those sperm will move around, even if only a tiny fraction of them make an escape. This is why birth control methods like the pull-out method have higher failure rates: even if there is no ejaculation, sperm present at the tip can make it’s way to an egg through genital contact alone.
(On a related note, it is said that peeing before intercourse, and in between ejaculations, can flush out and kill sperm so as to make the method work, but I have not found any studies to solidly confirm this).
So what’s up with “blue balls?”
Sadly, there is very little research on “blue balls”: a slang term referring to the congestion of seminal fluid in the testes. This is said to occur when a man is sexually stimulated but experiences no sexual release/ejaculation. In turn, this may cause the testicles (”balls”) to grow swollen and blue.
Not all males experience blue balls. For those that do, there are two ways to handle it: sexual release, and for those who have reasons to avoid sex, the valsalva maneuver. Either route may or may not be painful, but if your testes are already that swollen, you are already in pain anyway!
Erectile Dysfunction (ED): You may not need viagra after all.
This means you don’t get an erection (obviously). What causes this depends on the individual, but there are a few things to consider before relying on prescription drugs. This includes eating more vegetables (even if through something like V-8), eating more berries and citrus fruit, getting vitamin D3 through sunlight or supplements, and also avoiding chronic masturbation/pornography addictions.
Another major factor for ED are hardened arteries. Hardened arteries can be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and high cholesterol. Hardened arteries can make it difficult or impossible for the blood vessels in the penis to expand and create an erection. So, eat healthy as stated above, keep your sugar/insulin levels in check, avoid drugs, and find ways to destress regularly.
Wet dreams (nocturnal emissions) are NORMAL.
Whether you are just now having them or have worried over whether they are “bad”, I can assure that ejaculating in your sleep is not a sin (according to Christian theology) or a sign of any health problems. They only ever happen in a subconscious state where our consciousness is not in total control.
However, some other religions may consider it a state of temporary uncleanliness. You should speak with your religious leader about the matter. Just know that you are not a bad person, it is simply biology.
Male fertility is continuous, so it makes sense that some kind of release of fluid is necessary for health to assure room and health of new sperm.
Ejaculation, semen analysis, and prostrate cancer
The prostrate is an organ that helps produce semen, a mix of fluid and sperm that combines during ejaculation. Cancer in this organ can cause symptoms that may come up in semen analysis, or from cancer treatment.
Signs of cancer in semen can be seen by testing sperm, according to a study in 2014. If you are at risk for prostrate cancer and have other symptoms related to it, looking into a semen analysis could be very helpful.
Cancer treatment on the prostrate and nearby organs can also cause “dry emissions” or dry orgasms. It is when the man becomes erect and experiences the pleasure of an orgasm, but little to no semen is ejaculated. You can learn more here.
Ejaculating regularly may prevent prostrate cancer: that doesn’t mean you should masturbate continuously.
Obviously, flushing out older sperm to make room for new sperm can prevent issues related to a cancerous prostrate. However, masturbating, which can easily become chronic, has it’s own host of issues: erectile dysfunction, less satisfaction with a sexual partner, and premature ejaculation. And all of these issues can lead to actually ejaculating less.
There are plenty of other ways to prevent prostrate cancer, which include eating healthy, exercising regularly, finding healthy ways to reduce stress, and much more. Your doctor, dietician, and fitness coach can talk to you about what may help you best. Plus, if you are married/have a monogamous relationship, you can find more wholesome ways to ejaculate (wink wink). So don’t worry: not being able to orgasm more than once a day isn’t going to literally kill you!
Men’s Health is important too.
While I am an ardent advocate for women’s health – which is in sore need of revisions – that doesn’t mean men have it all easy either. Men are less likely to seek medical treatment for illness or worrying symptoms, and they also take on more hazardous jobs than women do. They work in nuclear power plants, in construction, in chemical plants, and more: they definitely need to think about their health just as much as women do! This topic goes beyond the scope of this post and I encourage you to learn more.
If you are a man or a person who is biologically male, know that taking care of your health is extremely important. By demystifying your fertility, reproductive system, and the myths surrounding them, you can make smarter decisions for your life!
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