While generally considered a taboo topic, discussions over how often one needs to change their underwear will almost certainly pop up during talk about personal hygiene.
It is largely agreed that you change your underwear once per day.
However, if one works out or engages in vigorous activities during the day, it makes sense to change underwear more frequently.
Changing underwear daily helps avoid a build-up of bacteria, sweat, and moisture, all of which can lead to infection or skin irritation in sensitive regions.
Women in particular can experience an abundance of yeast in their groin area that can result in a rash. This is typically caused by moisture and friction and can be made worse if they wear the same underwear after an exercise.
The question, therefore, has been whether it is uncivilised to wear underwear for more than one day.
Philip M. Tierno, a clinical professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University, says extending the time may not be as bad as it may appear.
“Two days would probably be very little detection unless you grossly contaminate your underwear,” he says.
He explained that as long as one cleans well after visiting the washroom, there’s no harm in extending undergarment wear.
The amount of accumulation of bacteria depends on the activities the wearer does throughout the day.
Sweating a lot on a hot day or while exercising will increase the population of bacteria.
However, it is a common rule that stained underwear should be thrown out almost immediately.
A market research firm Mintel noted that one in every five males does not change their underwear daily.
The same was another research by UK retailer Marks & Spencer, which found that almost a third of guys change their underwear only every two to three days.
The trend has largely been attributed to the fact that men have not been traditionally raised to do their laundry.
A recent survey of 2,000 Americans found that almost 45 per cent of the participants wore the same undies for two days or even longer