Rob, here are some answers to your questions. Please contact me privately and I
may be able to put you in touch with a lab that could help you with tests, at no
cost.

(1) What type of thermometer you use does not matter so much as long as it
covers temperatures in the 35-55°C range. You should be aiming for a water
temperature of 47-48°C which is just below the pain threshold. If you find that
painful, as low as 45-46°C may be plenty anyway. The easiest way to get the
right temperature is straight out of the tap - open the hot valve all the way,
and measure the temperature as the water flows. Once the temperature peaks,
slowly open the cold valve to mix cold water until you get the desired
temperature. If your hot water is below 48°C you need to increase your water
heater's temperature.

All the existing literature on external heat (what little there is) talks about
submerging the testicles in water, but I find that very difficult and messy. It
works just as well to fill and tie a plastic bag and hold it in place for the
treatment duration.

(2) Regarding your question on sensitivity, it's natural for your testicles to
hang down away from the body after heating. This is the body's system for
regulating their temperature - it's trying to keep them away from your body's
heat so they cool down to the temperature they're supposed to be. If you're
experiencing pain and sensitivity, lower the temperature of the water by a
degree or so.

(3) Regarding fertility tests, you really should have been doing this from day 1
BEFORE you started treatment. Documentation of before-and-after counts is
essential to establishing the legitimacy of this method. You can do counts
yourself, but don't even think about trying it without buying a hemocytometer
slide and a real microscope. You can get them off eBay for about $100 USD total
if you're lucky. SpermCheck is an excellent product but I don't believe it's on
the market yet. If it is, you could try that. The SpermCheck Vasectomy product
is already on the market and tests for counts below 250000/ml, which is
extremely low but should be attainable. The plain SpermCheck tells you whether
your count is below 5 million ("unlikely to be fertile"), between 5 and 20
million ("reduced fertility"), or over 20 million ("fertile").

That brings me to (4): the WHO standard cutoff is 20 million/ml, but that does
not mean you cannot get someone pregnant, just that you would be diagnosed as
"infertile" at that level. There are varying opinions on what sperm count is
effective for contraceptive purposes, but at the very least you want a count
lower than 5 million/ml and should probably aim for less than half a million.

With all that said, please contact me directly and I may be able to put you in
touch with further resources.

By the way, don't expect to see major results until about 50-60 days after
beginning the treatment, and be sure to use a backup method until you've done
the tests and developed confidence in your application of the method!

Good luck.

-R.


--- In malecontraceptives@yahoogroups.com, "scsa822" <robarchangel@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Group Members,
>
> My name is Rob, and I just learned of your group. I'm currently experimenting
with the external hot water method of male contraception, and have a few
questions. My current practice is as follows:
>
> Heat water in tea kettle, bring it into the bath-tub with me.
> Fill ~16oz bowl with lukewarm water, and submerge my testicles
> Add steaming hot water until it borders on painfully hot.
> Using my fingers, keep my testicles submerged , adding more water every couple
of minutes to keep the temperature hot.
> Remain in for 45 minutes.
>
> I'm about 1 week in, and I think it's going well. My questions are:
> 1) How important is it to get an accurate water temperature read? Should I
purchase a thermometer? If so, what sort of thermometer would be best? A candy
thermometer? Cooking thermometer? Something else?
>
> 2) Have others who've experimented with this experienced greater sensitivity
upon removing the testicles from water? I find they feel quite tender and sore,
and appear distended, dragging down away from my body longer than usual.
>
> 3) Once this is through the three weeks- I'd like to take a sperm test to
determine my (in)fertility. I don't have insurance and am wondering, if anyone
has an idea, how much I might expect to pay for one in Virginia. Alternately,
how reliable are the fertility tests available over the counter? I understand
the SpermCheck has FDA approval based on its high reliability rate. Would that
be a safe means of testing?
>
> 4) On that note, what are the thresholds for diagnosed infertility? Under
what point may I reasonably assume infertility and forgo the use of alternate
contraceptives?
>
> Thanks in advance for any help. I'm grateful for this group, and look forward
to learnging from the experience and knowledge of others here.
>
> Best regards
> Rob
>