Biohacking:The men trying to supercharge their sperm count

生物黑客:试图提升精子数量的男性

What in the World

2026-06-30

11 分钟
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When you think of fertility, you might automatically think of women’s fertility. But there are men online doing something called ‘fertilitymaxxing’ - it’s all about young men trying a bunch of unproven hacks in hopes of improving their sperm health. Content with these hacks are often pushed by male wellness and manosphere influencers online - but is this really about raising more awareness of male fertility (which is an under-researched issue)? Or is it about other anxieties Gen Z men might have about their health - and masculinity more generally? Jacqui Wakefield is our Global Health Correspondent and has been speaking to men, like Simon in Miami, who have been doing things like icing his testicles in a bid to boost sperm count. And also Professor Channa Jayasena, a reproductive endocrinologist and Imperial College, explains that some medicines these influencers are recommending can be very dangerous. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde
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  • Men should have to spend nine months getting into the best physical shape of their life before having a baby.

  • That's a quote from a TikTok video that's been liked 2.5 million times.

  • And it's part of a wider conversation people are having online about a trend called fertility maxing.

  • This isn't about the gals this time, though.

  • It sees young men trying a whole bunch of hacks to try and improve their sperm health.

  • Simon spends nearly an hour every day on his fertility routine.

  • A lot of diseases have low sperm count correlations, so it's something that I'm generally scared of.

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  • And your fertility as well.

  • The content is often pushed by male wellness influencers.

  • But is it really about raising more awareness of male fertility?

  • Or is it about other anxieties Gen Z men might have about their health and masculinity in more general terms?