Video Review: Male Testicular Health and Fertility

In the sexual health classes I took at school, I do not remember there being a great deal of time dedicated to testicles. They cropped up only in terms of their most basic biology, and more ominously as the root cause of 'feelings' that we had no choice but to bunker down for. Therefore, I thought it was excellent that the British Fertility Society (BFS) has published a series of educational videos covering wider aspects of testicular health and fertility aimed at young men aged 14-24.

Each of the four 'episodes' is around two minutes long – an ideal length to avoid becoming bogged down in detail and to fit into packed lessons – and covers a different aspect of testicular health. I thought that the level of scientific depth each one goes into was appropriate, with clear thought given to the right balance between being medically precise and using terms that both a teenager and young adult would understand. Each episode also ends in a way that leads the viewer into the next one, letting them work well together when viewed one after the other.

The first episode introduced the two main purposes of the testicles – to produce testosterone and sperm. I appreciated that the framing of the videos was not centred around sexuality and emphasised their importance to health at a more general level. In particular, opening with a clear explanation of testosterone production and its effects on the body was good, as I would expect (pessimistically) that many younger teenagers aren't actually aware that testicles did this.

The second episode continued this tone and is dedicated to the link between fertility and general health. It opened by making direct links between testicular health and other conditions such as heart disease, which I would expect most men – myself included – do not normally think about. The majority of the video, however, is a list of tips for keeping the testicles in good health. Most of these are well explained and easy to follow, although if I had one minor criticism it would be the generalised warning 'don't have unprotected sex until you're ready to start trying for kids', specifically referring to using condoms. This may have been aimed at younger audiences, but I think that for a significant number of young adults in relationships who use other contraceptives, it is probably not necessary and could come across as preachy.

In the third episode, the importance of regularly checking your testicles and what to look out for is discussed. I think that the monthly check that is introduced gives people a regimen that is easy to follow and isn't too intrusive. Again, I liked the clear thought that had gone into making sure the language was clear and concise, rather than being too medical. Checking your testicles is such an important habit to get into and getting this across in a way that demystifies the process can only be a good way to encourage people to do it.

Lastly, the fourth episode advised on what to do when you do experience pain or find an unusual lump, and what could be the cause of these. Here, the risk of cancer is discussed, as it should be, but not in a way that is unnecessarily fearmongering. The viewer is reminded that although it is serious, testicular cancer is rare and one of the most curable forms of cancer. The animation makes the point that the most important thing to do is recognise the signs and go to a doctor early, which is especially important to remind people following the lack of in-person doctor appointments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I also thought that it was great to see sperm banks discussed at this point as something that can be used as insurance against loss of fertility due to certain treatments. I myself do not usually think about sperm bank deposits outside of the context of providing donor sperm. Although most of the people that see these videos will not need to make such deposits, it is excellent to make men aware that they have options available to them, particularly when male fertility interventions are so infrequently discussed compared to women's.

I would happily recommend these animations for any educational or medical setting. Although someone wanting to see these topics being covered in more depth may need to look elsewhere, they provide the important take home messages about testicular health in a way that is clear and memorable.