In 1987, Zurich was a hotbed of radical feminism. For three Swiss francs (close to $6 today), left-wing bookstores sold a copy of a pamphlet called “Antisexistische Schrittversuche fuer die Aufloesung Maennlicher Machtstrukturen” (“anti-sexist attempts to dismantle male power structures”), featuring an article about “hodenbaden” sterilization — that is, testicular bathing.
In the absence of reversible long-term contraception for men, and opposing the idea that preventing unwanted pregnancies should be a woman’s responsibility and burden, a group of 11 men called the Zürcher Hodenbader (testicular bathers of Zurich) had devised a system: For 45 minutes daily, they would sit on a custom-designed chair with a heated cup in which they would submerge their testicles in water warmed to about 113° F. To thrive, sperm need a temperature slightly below the rest of the body, which is why testicles hang outside (and tight underwear, saunas, hot tubs, and the like are not great for men trying to conceive). After several weeks of regular testicular bathing, the sperm count would typically drop below the fertility threshold for up to six months.
