The tight pants that you wear as a contraceptive
...and now for a French sartorial tip
JOCKSTRAPS have never been exactly fashionable – but they appear to be winning new fans among men who want to avoid getting their partner pregnant.
The tight underwear, traditionally worn by sportsmen, heat the wearer up, which can work as a form of contraception.
A French study has shown men are overwhelmingly happy to wear a jockstrap instead of using condoms.
The underwear, which lifts testicles close to the body, raising their temperature by 2C and lowering sperm count, is – apparently – worn for 15 hours a day to be most effective.
As an essential part of their kit, male cricketers have long sworn by jockstraps as a means of holding a box in place to prevent a different kind of eye-watering accident.
Now a survey of 72 men found all would recommend the underwear to a friend, as it was a ‘natural’ form of contraception which spared their partner from the pill. Lead author
Professor Jeanne Perrin, from Aix-Marseille University, said: ‘We know men use jockstraps for contraception already, but the ones developed for this are proven to provide sufficient heat to prevent pregnancy. While some men still think these pants are a bit strange, or that they are funny, many want to use them.’
The only contraception currently available to men involves condoms, the withdrawal method or a vasectomy. Researchers are still working on a male version of the pill.
The French jockstrap-style underwear has been nicknamed ‘ boulocho’ which means, rather rudely, ‘heated balls’. Researchers say the device works as well as the female pill – 51 couples using only the pants had zero pregnancies. The designers plan more trials and then hope to sell it – including in the UK.
The study found 27 per cent of men had a better sex life when using the underwear, and almost 60 per cent had improved self- esteem. Almost three- quarters wore the jockstrap for 15 hours a day – which could assuage fears about trusting men with contraception.
However 56 per cent of the men experienced discomfort, such as irritation and excessive sweat. The device, worn underneath underwear, is much more drastic in its contortion than a regular jockstrap.
Professor Richard Anderson, from the University of Edinburgh, said: ‘This approach, of essentially heating the testes a bit, has been around for several decades, but it seems only the French are pursuing it.
‘It is great for those who like it, as it avoids hormones or pills, but many men seem to find this underwear uncomfortable. So it’s interesting, but this is unlikely to be in your local M&S any time soon.’