Deep voice could mean low sperm count -- study
POSTED January 5, 2012 - 21:12 | POSTED BY Neharika Sabharwal
Last edited by Jaspreet Virk on January 5, 2012 - 23:14
Men with deep voices have lower sperm counts compared to their high-pitched counterparts, finds an intriguing new Australian study.
According to researchers, en with low-pitched voice might have high level of the male sex hormone testosterone but too much of it can actually impair semen quality.
Link between deep voice and sperm count assessed
For the study, researchers recruited 54 men between the ages of 18 and 32 from the campus of the University of Western Australia.
The participants had their voices recorded and the pitch of their speech assessed.
They were also asked to deliver a semen sample to the laboratory within an hour of collection.
As a part of the study, the voice recordings were then rated by 30 women for attractiveness and masculinity.
Additionally, the semen samples were analyzed for concentration of sperm in ejaculation.
Findings of the study
Not surprisingly, women rated deeper voices as more masculine and attractive.
However, the study found no correlations between deep voice and virility. Contrary to expectations, the researchers found men with more attractive voices had lower sperm counts.
The new research by Leigh Simmons, Marianne Peters and Gillian Rhodes is published in the journal 'PLoS ONE.'
