compared semen samples and anogenital distance measurements in 126 college students. They found that men with a taint shorter than the average length are 7.3 times more likely to have a low sperm count.
It's believed that chemicals like phthalates, which are found in many personal care products, may alter normal hormone function in the womb and change anogenital distance. An earlier study by Swan discovered that mothers exposed to high phthalate levels birthed sons who were 10 times more likely to have shorter anogenital distances.
While phthalates may explain truncated taints, they don't necessarily explain the decreased sperm count. My unscholarly guess is that the truncated distance provides less ventilation for the testicles, effectively increasing their core temperature. Considering that the testicles hang outside the body in order to maintain a lower temperature, balls that are tucked up farther between the legs may harbor conditions that are too hot for these sperm factories to operate effectively.
If this research holds up, men may soon be bragging about the size of their taints instead of their dicks, or at least as a substitute for uninspired dicks.
Read more in the scientific journal where the research was originally published: Environmental Health Perspectives.
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