Underwear optional? The health pros and cons of going commando

"In 2015, during a particularly energetic performance of the song American Woman in Stockholm, Lenny Kravitz split a pair of leather pants right down the crotch, revealing his manhood to the world. I'm sorry to say I think about this incident somewhat regularly. Not out of titillation, but because it planted in my head a troublesome question: just how many people, rock stars or otherwise, aren't wearing underwear in public? Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is not a lot of data to answer this question."

"There is limited research directly comparing health outcomes between wearing and not wearing underwear, says Dr Kyle Brenda, a board-certified family physician at Whitman-Walker health, a non-profit community health center in Washington DC. The primary consideration should really be the comfort of the individual. But there are times when experts suggest it is better to wear underwear than not. And the cut and fabric of your undergarments matter, too."

"If one is wearing the appropriate underwear, it shouldn't affect your health much, Brenda says. But what the appropriate underwear is might vary slightly from person to person. For men, boxers, boxer-briefs and briefs are all good options for regular wear, says Dr Justin Dubin, urologist and director of men's sexual health at Baptist Health South Florida, and co-host of the Man Up podcast."

A 2023 YouGov poll found 7% of Americans always go commando and 10% often forgo underwear. Limited research directly compares health outcomes between wearing and not wearing underwear. The primary consideration for underwear choice should be individual comfort, although experts note occasions when wearing underwear is preferable and that cut and fabric matter. Appropriate underwear generally should not affect health significantly, but recommendations vary by person. For men, boxers, boxer-briefs, and briefs are suitable for regular wear. One 2018 study reported that men who wore boxers had a 25% higher sperm concentration.

Read at www.theguardian.com