Going Commando: Benefits and Effects of Not Wearing Underwear

When someone is not wearing any underwear it is described as “going commando.” This term was used for elite soldiers who were trained to be on the alert and ready to fight whenever needed at a moment’s notice. If someone is not wearing any underwear, then you are ready and prepared to go for battle any time without having to deal with the nuisance of wearing underwear.

Coming to going commando in daily life, not wearing underwear has shown quite a few benefits. In this article we will discuss about going commando and the effects of not wearing underwear on your body.

Both men and women being different in gender and anatomy, experience different benefits from not wearing undies or going commando.

Some of the reasons why not wearing underwear can be beneficial for female genitalia are:

Underwear can trap the moisture from the heat and sweat in the genital region which causes bad smell down there. ⁽¹⁾ Not wearing any underwear helps in: ⁽¹⁾

• Reducing the bad smell.
• Allows evaporation of the sweat.
• Decreases chafing which is worsened by moisture.
• Protects the vulva from any injury.

Wearing tight underwear which is made of synthetic fabrics can cause irritation and chafing of the labia and the skin surrounding it resulting in damage to the skin pain, bleeding, injury and infections. Skipping the underwear helps in reducing or completely eliminating the possibility of damage or chafing.

As many clothes have harmful and artificial dyes and chemicals in them that can lead to contact dermatitis which is an allergic reaction (2). The symptoms of this reaction are rashes, bumps, irritation or blisters. Severe reactions can consist of damage to the tissue and infections. Not wearing underwear prevents all these skin reactions, as you have one less cloth which is coming in such close contact with the private region.

Candida is the cause for yeast infections and these bacteria thrive in moist and warm environments. ⁽³⁾ Wearing underwear that is tight or not made of breathable material leads to retaining moisture in the genital region making it an ideal place for growth of bacteria. ⁽⁴⁾ Make sure to wear loose underwear made of breathable material. However, there is no concrete evidence that not wearing underwear decreases yeast infection.

The same benefits apply for men as well as women when they choose to forgo underwear. However, there are some extra benefits for men when skipping underwear, which are mostly related to the physiology of the scrotum, penis and testicles. Going commando for men helps by:

Wet and warm genitals are a great environment for growth of parasites, such as tinea cruris which is a fungi. ⁽⁶⁾. This causes irritation, redness and itching in the genital region ⁽⁶⁾. Not wearing underwear helps in keeping the genital region ventilated and also makes sure that this region stays dry and cool, more so after long periods of any vigorous activity.

Wearing tight underwear can cause chafing of the scrotum or penis against the clothing. This leads to irritation, skin injury, which can further cause infections. Wearing a comfortable and loose pair of shorts or jeans without underwear helps in preventing the chafing to the genitals.

The testicles in men hang external to the body for a reason. For efficient production of sperm, the temperature for testicles should be about 94°F (34.4°C) ⁽⁷⁾, which is a few degrees cooler than the usual body’s temperature of 97°F to 99°F (36.1°C to 37.2°C). Wearing underwear especially made of synthetic material and which is tight pushes the testicles against the body and increases the scrotal temperature. This leads to testicular hyperthermia, which is a less conducive environment for the testicles for producing sperm ⁽⁸⁾. As time goes, this causes decrease in the sperm count and increases the chances of infertility. However, more research is needed on this.

One thing should be born in mind is to not expect some miraculous cure for problems with the genital area by going commando or skipping underwear. There are some things to remember when skipping underwear such as:

Skipping underwear and yet wearing tight clothes can cause irritation to the vulva or scrotum and penis. It may cause more irritation as the bottoms are made of rougher material. There is still a risk of getting jock itch or yeast infections from wearing tight clothes which do not allow air to pass.

There is lot of bacteria present in the genitals, thus it is important to change into fresh clothes daily as the old ones have touched the genital region.

Going commando is a personal choice even though the benefits of not wearing underwear are present; however, you can choose to forgo wearing underwear once in a while for better genital health. There is no need to feel obliged to skip or to wear underwear. It is your choice and do what makes you comfortable.

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