The Checkup: Guys, Length Does Matter

• Next time your man brags about how long his, um, you-know-what is, remind him that it’s the length of his sperm that matters, if reproduction is your end goal. New research found that men who have sperm that vary in length also have the lowest concentration of sperm that can swim well—and if your sperm can’t swim, you can bet it’ll have a hard time reaching that egg. Researchers studied the sperm of 103 randomly selected men, measuring the heads, midpieces and flagella of 30 sperm per subject. They also tracked each man’s sperm concentration and mobility, concluding “the inconsistency of length in the sperm a man manufactures, particularly with regard to the flagellum [tail], the lower his concentration of sperm that could swim well.” Researchers hope the finding could lead to better treatments for infertility. Read more here.

• Can housework help you live longer? The New York Times answers that very question over here.

• Yikes. Gawker reports on a new NIH study which ties the chemical PCB to fertility problems. And where, you ask, might you find such a chemical? In meat. That you eat. Sick.

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