Jarmila Jackson, Features Writer

The sex appeal of seeing a risk-taking, leather-clad man speeding through traffic on his motorcycle could be to his detriment, as scientific studies have shown that riding motorcycles and bicycles for extended periods can have a devastating effect on a man's ability to reproduce and even sustain sexual performance.

According to Dr Andre McDonald, a medical doctor and nutritional consultant, research indicates that men who ride for more than 3,000 miles per year are at risk for low sperm count, infertility, ejaculatory and erectile dysfunction.

McDonald says this is caused by the increased heat and pressure on the testes, the scrotum, the urethra and the varicocele (a network of veins which carries blood away from the testicles and back up into the body).

"There is a 30 per cent chance of a man with a low sperm count actually being able to impregnate a woman, if he has a number of at least 10-13 million sperm," McDonald said.

He also reported that men who wear tight pants might be affected. "There are many studies which show that a tight brief or tight jeans worn for an extended period can affect the sperm count," McDonald told The Gleaner. However, the nutritional consultant said there is no level one evidence (which is the highest level of medical research) to confirm the studies in this regard.

Nevertheless, he recommends that men wear their clothing as loosely as possible to avoid the adverse effects.