Should I avoid hot tub baths while trying to conceive?

The BabyCenter India editorial team

Our panel of health writers.

Yes. You should probably not use spa baths and hot tubs too often if you're planning to become a dad.

Your testicles are outside your body for a reason. They need to be cooler than your body temperature to produce healthy sperm. The ideal temperature for producing healthy sperm is 34.5 degrees C, which is several degrees below body temperature.

Your testicles are highly sensitive to heat. Research suggests that an increase in testicle temperature is closely linked to poor sperm quality. Too much heat can damage sperm production and affect your sperm's ability to move towards your wife's egg.

Sperm cells that are still growing are especially vulnerable and it can take up to three months to produce a mature sperm cell. So in theory, using a spa bath in January could affect developing sperm that are released as late as March or April.

Spa baths, jacuzzis and hot tubs are probably fine in moderation, but don't overdo it. If you have a low sperm count you may want to avoid them completely while you're trying for a baby. The same is true if it is taking a long time for you to conceive.

There's no evidence to suggest that heat affects a woman's eggs, but spa baths and saunas aren't recommended during pregnancy. Studies have shown that a raised body temperature during early pregnancy may increase the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.

To play it really safe, women who are trying to conceive should avoid spa baths, jacuzzis and saunas, or limit them to the weeks before ovulation.


Read more on:


Chambers C.D. 2006. Risks of hyperthermia associated with hot tub or spa use by pregnant women. Birth Defects Research (Part A): Clinical and Molecular Teratolog.76:569–573

Hjollund NH, Storgaard L, Ernst E, et al. 2002. Impact of diurnal scrotal temperature on semen quality. Reprod Toxicol. 16(3):215-21

NCCWCH. 2004. Fertility: assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems - full guideline.National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health. London: NICE.

OTIS. 2010. Hyperthermia and Pregnancy. Organisation of Teratology Information Specialists.

PRODIGY. 2007. Infertility: clinical topic.

Rubenstein J. 2011. Male infertility: treatment and management.eMedicine.


Shefi S, Tarapore PE, Walsh TJ,et al. 2007. Wet heat exposure: a potentially reversible cause of low semen quality in infertile men. Int Braz J Urol. 33(1):50-6

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