Expert debunks shocking Louis Theroux documentary claim that women 'retain' a man's sperm
A health expert has spoken out after some pretty wild claims were made in Louis Theroux's new doc about how women apparently retain the sperm of men they've slept with.
For his Netflix debut, Inside the Manosphere, Theroux investigates an online movement which promotes an extreme version of traditional masculinity and opposition to feminism.
The filmmaker is granted unprecedented access to a number of leading content creators such as Myron Gaines, Sneako and fellow Brit HSTikkyTokky, all of whom make millions by selling young boys a dream online.
The documentary highlights the shocking and potentially dangerous views shared online, including anti-semitic claims that an international 'cabal' is forcing people to work 9-5 jobs, predator stings and reducing women to their 'beauty and sexuality'.
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Check out the trailer for Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere below:
One of the more gobsmacking moments from the film occurs while Theroux sits in on an episode of Gaines FreshFit podcast.
During a segment discussing previous sexual partners, Gaines asks the female guests whether or not 'body count matters' to one woman responds: "Don't judge my body count and I won't judge yours. Clean slate."
The question appeared to be a loaded one, as we then see production play a clip of an alleged neuroscientist claiming that women 'absorb and retain' the DNA of every man they've ever been with via sperm. Cause that seems like a real bit of science, right?
"This foreign DNA has been found in the brain, organs and reproductive system," the video, shared to the account neuroscience.news.network, claims.
The creator then goes to state as fact that some children even resemble an 'ex more than their father' before going on to suggest: "The more men a woman has been with, the higher the risk of negative mutations in her future children."
The implication of the original video and the decision for FreshFit to include it in their podcast is clear, to shame or imply women who've had multiple sexual partners are 'used goods' or 'lesser than'.
When challenged by Theroux, Gaines responded: "There has been scientific data that reflects this when it comes to females and parent bonding."
But how accurate are these claims – and how dangerous is it that some young men could believe it?
The truth behind claims that women 'retain' sperm after sexual intercourse
The claims can be traced back to the concept of microchimerism, which is where a small number of genetically distinct cells are found inside a person. This typically occurs during pregnancy, when foetal cells are transferred to the mother, according to the US National Library of Medicine.
A 2012 study on the phenomena also backs this up, with the presence of male DNA in the brain of an adult female resulting from her carrying a male foetus.
It's also true that sperm does survive temporarily inside a woman's body after intercourse, with Clear Blue suggesting that semen can survive for up to five days, depending on the conditions inside the cervix.
However, the claims that intercourse can lead to microchimerism in women are speculative at best, with one of the study's co-authors calling the claims 'misleading' after they began to circulate on the internet.
"In our study, as well as others done prior, we merely speculate the establishment of microchimerism through intercourse," study co-author William F. N. Chan previously telling Reuters fact check. "That is, the possibility exists but it has not been tested (or proven, as the lay person may say).
"Thus, it is erroneous and misleading to state that intercourse leads to microchimerism."
"It is impossible for a person to absorb or store DNA from a sexual partner's semen," a spokesperson for Brook, a sexual health clinic which provides confidential advice for teenagers and young adults, told LADbible.
"Sperm from a partner will not alter woman’s genetic makeup, nor can it transfer DNA to any children a woman conceives with a different partner in the future. Any claims suggesting otherwise are false, have no scientific basis and completely misrepresent how the human body works."
How dangerous are these claims?
Such claims are not only scientifically incorrect but also harmful, as it reinforces outdated stereotypes about women who have multiple sexual partners, especially when presented by creators who have millions of followers.
"This kind of content often poses a specific risk to women and girls by reinforcing misogynistic double standards and stigmatising female sexuality," Brook clinic added. "The 'slut shaming' and the moral policing of women that thrives in the manosphere encourages harmful behaviours in relationships. Normalising fear, shame and mistrust helps foster the conditions for abuse and prevents people seeking the support they really need."
The claims, which were broadcast to thousands of viewers across Gaines' streaming platforms left Theroux horrified, with the 55-year-old bluntly telling Gaines: "When people talk about misinformation on the internet, this is what they're talking about."
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere is available to stream on Netflix
Topics: Louis Theroux, Netflix, Health, Sex and Relationships
Brenna Cooper