According to a new survey of 2,000 British men, tight-fitting jeans can cause urinary tract infections, twisted testicles, bladder weakness and long-term health consequences.

The study, conducted by TENA Men, states that although many celebrities, such as Jude Law, Russell Brand and Joey Essex, favor fashionable skinny jeans, 10% of men surveyed reported experiencing an unpleasant adverse effect due to wearing tight-fitting jeans.

Dr. Hilary Jones, TENA Brand Ambassador and campaign spokesperson, explained:

“Men who wear tight or ill-fitting trousers or underwear which is restrictive around the groin area could be damaging their health. Wearing tight-fitting clothing over a prolonged period of time can lead to urinary tract infections leading to over-activity of the bladder- a type of bladder weakness as well as a low sperm count and fungal infections. I have seen several cases of men who have twisted their testicles due to wearing jeans that are far too tight. My advice would be to make sure you leave plenty of room around the groin area and that your pants and trousers feel comfortable so you’re not being restricted in any way. Please don’t put style before health.”

Results from the survey indicated that 50% of men suffering from skinny jeans experienced groin discomfort, more than 25% suffered bladder problems, and 1 in 5 men experienced a twisted testicle.

In addition, the survey revealed that 1 in 4 men wore skinny jeans on a regular basis simply because they look good or to show that they can still fit in them.

40% of men reported that they would rather look stylish than be comfortable, and 3 in 10 men reported experiencing discomfort from skinny jeans.

The team also found that although 1 in 7 respondents reported wearing skinny jeans regularly – more than 33% did not know their correct jean size.

Zoe Brimfield, TENA Men Brand Manager, said: “With this survey we were keen to highlight that while men may like the look of tight-fitting jeans, it’s important that they are not compromising their health. Wearing skinny or ill-fitting jeans can lead to bladder weakness as a longer-term consequence. Male bladder weakness is more common than people think, with 1 in 9 men in the UK currently experiencing some form of the condition.”

James Coleman, 27, a sales executive in London has suffered bladder problems as a result of wearing skinny jeans. Coleman explains:

“I bought my pair of skinny jeans because they were fashionable, I’d recently moved to London where every street feels like a catwalk so I wanted to look good. My friends used to joke I looked like something out of the Wanted or One Direction but I didn’t take notice.



At first I didn’t really have a problem and felt good wearing them but a couple of colleagues did comment on the fact they were skin tight and made my legs look ridiculously long. I then noticed they felt uncomfortable to wear, especially when sat down and put pressure against my bladder and stomach. I found myself going to the toilet more frequently than normal, which just became annoying. I didn’t bother going to the doctors or anything because it’s not something you want to admit – and it never occurred to me that it may have been caused by my skinny jeans. Since moving to London I cycle more and I decided to finally ditch the jeans after I spilt a seam on the tube after bending down to pick up my Oyster card. And since reverting back to smarter, looser fitting jeans and trousers I’ve found the problem has gone away.”

Written by Grace Rattue