Genital area

Roughly 50 % of the adult population in Europe suffers from some kind of physical sexual disorder at least periodically, and the numbers are rapidly rising. We sit on top of our private parts, and that is why it’s logical that sitting has a major impact on the circulation, nerve functions and metabolism of our genitalia.

Men have a tendency to sit with their pelvis tilted backwards. This is an unconscious way of relieving the pressure on the root of penis on the pubic bone, where the nerves and the vessels leading to the genitals are located. When using a two-part saddle chair the lower part of the penis (of which about 9 cm is on top of the pubic bone, below the pelvis, behind the testicles) is not subjected to the same kind of pressure as when using one-part saddle chairs. The harmful compression of the pudendal nerve and vessels can be eliminated almost fully. When the sitting pressure in on the sitting bones (Ischial Tuberosities) the important lymphatic circulation works better.

Men also keep their thighs spread in order to eliminate the feeling of pressure on their testicles; trousers and their middle seam tighten up when men are sitting. In addition, tight clothes keep the testicles too close to the warm body. Sperm production is very sensitive to the rising of the testicular temperature. The two-part saddle chair cools down the testicles to their optimum temperature of 33°C (approx. 91°F). In conventional sitting the temperature of the testicles can often rise to 37°C (approx. 99°F). This is one reason behind the reduced quality of sperm.

For male cyclist the violent pressure on the tissues next to the pubic bone has been proved to cause impotence and testicular cancer. The same phenomenon has also started to occur among men using one-part saddle chairs.

Cycling has also been discovered to cause damage to the female outer genitalia, leading to decrease of sensitivity. Riders and users of one-part saddle chair can experience the same phenomenon.

Tight clothing and long-term sitting with reduced circulation, combined with the use of panty liners and sanitary pads, increase the risk of infections in women’s genitalia. Sitting on a two-part saddle chair decreases this risk. Most women find an inadequate gap, or a saddle chair without a gap, uncomfortable around the pubic bone area because nerves and blood vessels get pressed between the seat and the pubic bone. This kind of pressure leads to reduced circulation, which is a health risk in itself.

A gap in the chair encourages both men and women to tilt their pelvis forward without the uncomfortable pressure against the pubic bone and the genitals. This helps to keep the lumbar posture in the natural lordosis, which is the ideal form of the spine. The two-part saddle chair eases the pressure on the genitals and preserves a safe angle between the thighs and the upper body.