Why couples wanting a baby should avoid a “quickie”: Men who focus on enjoying themselves in the bedroom have higher sperm counts, a fertility study suggests
- Study suggests men’s sperm count gets a boost when they focus on pleasure
- Sperm counts were up to 58 percent higher when men viewed VR pornography
- While the study used pornography, experts claim higher numbers may apply to sex
Couples trying to conceive should avoid a “quickie” and focus on enjoying themselves in the bedroom, a study suggests.
Because men can increase their sperm count – and their partner’s chances of conceiving – the more excited they are.
Sperm counts were up to 58 percent higher in some cases when researchers gave men virtual reality (VR) pornography that made them feel like they were participating in the experience, compared to videos and printed explicit material.
While the study used pornography, a fertility expert involved claimed it applied to sex, but acknowledged that more research was needed.
Men can increase their sperm count – and their partner’s chances of conceiving – the more excited they are
Co-author Allan Pacey, Professor of Men’s Health at the University of Sheffield, commented on the findings: “This study reinforces the view that good sex can help couples trying to conceive a baby.
“It’s not just about having a quickie on the day of the month that the woman ovulates. There is growing evidence that men produce better sperm samples for conception when they are more aroused.”
The study, published in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, involved 63 donors who provided multiple semen samples at a clinic.
It looked at the number of floating “motile” sperm in each sample, which is the best indicator of fertility and whether it can get a woman pregnant.
If men didn’t ejaculate for 14 hours before giving their sample, they produced 33 million more motile sperm when viewing the VR pornography versus the video version. This increased their sperm count by an average of 58 percent.
The apparent effect of being more aroused was reduced when men went longer before the experiment without ejaculating, a well-known practice that tends to increase sperm count anyway.
Researchers said they couldn’t be sure if men would enjoy VR pornography more or if higher sperm counts were associated with it, but said it was the “most likely” explanation.