Ice on testicles and donating blood - the myths sold to men trying to boost their sperm

Every morning, Simon starts his day in a sauna, with an ice pack strapped to his groin."I place it on the testicles in order to preserve high sperm-count" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="163688" data-entity-type="topic">sperm count," he says.He believes the heat helps him sweat out toxins, improving his sperm function - but says he must take care to protect his testicles from the excessive heat.The 28-year-old from Miami gets daily sunlight exposure, exercises regularly, only drinks filtered water and wears cotton boxer shorts - all part of a fertility-focused health regime which he follows despite any medical evidence to prove it works. There is an element of truth behind these claims - environmental pollutants and heating the testes can impact sperm-quality" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="163690" data-entity-type="topic">sperm quality.But it's unlikely these steps Simon takes will make a massive difference to his fertility, although exercising will improve general health.He is part of a growing number of men paying close attention to their fertility. On TikTok and Instagram, hashtags such as #malefertility, #semenanalysis and #sperm attract hundreds of millions of views, while online communities dedicated to improving sperm-health" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="163691" data-entity-type="topic">sperm health have grown rapidly.Simon is not planning to have children any time soon and doesn't have a partner - he is more concerned with whether a low sperm-count" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="163688" data-entity-type="topic">sperm count could affect his health.