In conjunction with International Men’s Day, we held a seminar titled “What Modern Men Need to Know About Their Bodies” to deepen understanding of the semen analysis supported by our 32 Benefits!
Hello! I’m Ikuta from the SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP PR team.
Did you know that November 19th was International Men’s Day?
(※) What is International Men’s Day?
A commemorative day that began in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999 to celebrate men around the world who promote gender equality.
SUNNY DAYS has also published an article in connection with International Men’s Day and “Good Childcare Day,” which falls on the same date, so please check it out.
▼What is the current state of paternity leave at SUNNY SIDE UP? Members who have actually taken leave share the reality of their experience and what they want to work on in the future.
In July of this year, SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP updated our original employee benefits program, “32 Benefits.” We introduced subsidies for semen analysis, creating opportunities for men to understand their own bodies.
In conjunction with International Men’s Day, we held an internal seminar titled “What Men Living in Modern Times Should Know About Their Bodies” to deepen understanding of the body.
(※) What are the “32 Benefits,” our original employee benefits program for “working happily and living happily”?
Based on our slogan “Let’s Have Fun!,” these original employee benefits were established in 2011 to help members lead enjoyable and fulfilling lives.The program consists of benefits that reflect our company’s character, such as “Fun Creation Support,” “Romance Battle Leave,” “Heartbreak Leave,” “Birthday Leave,” and “Happiness Won’t Come Walking.”We update the program as needed to align with current trends, promoting “an environment where each individual can work in their own way.”
Details about the “32 Benefits” can be found here.
The instructor for this seminar was Dr. Mariko Hatta, an obstetrician-gynecologist
Obstetrician-Gynecologist Dr. Mariko Hatta
Dr. Hatta also appeared at “W school” Session 3, part of the “W society” project operated by Good and Company, Inc., and has been extremely helpful to us.
This time, I, Ikuta, conducted the seminar in a Q format, asking Dr. Hatta many questions from a male perspective about things I didn’t know about my own body and topics I was curious about.
Here is the seminar agenda
・Body mechanisms that men should know about
・The reality of “infertility” ~Male infertility is also a common cause~
・”Sexually transmitted infections” you should know about now
・Women’s bodies, female-specific diseases, and health issues that men should know about
・QA session
In the section on “Body Mechanisms That Men Should Know About,” Dr. Hatta provided detailed explanations about testosterone, the hormone necessary for men to maintain their health, including its importance and which parts of the body it affects.
In the following “Reality of Infertility” section, after discussing the general state of infertility in society, Dr. Hatta explained factors that can cause male infertility, providing time to reconsider our own bodies and lifestyles.
What personally surprised me most was that “disrupted lifestyle habits can negatively affect sperm.” I had never connected lifestyle habits with infertility before, so I learned that such factors can also cause infertility.
The seminar progressed to the topic of sexually transmitted infections, which has been featured in the news recently.
Image source: From seminar materials
Dr. Hatta provided extensive information about STIs, including how both men and women can be infected without symptoms, making it difficult to recognize “I might actually have this,” and how infections can occur through kissing and oral sex.
Finally, under the title “Women’s Bodies That Men Should Know About,” Dr. Hatta lectured not only about men but also about women’s life stages, egg mechanisms, menstruation, and other bodily functions that we thought we knew but actually didn’t.
Image source: From seminar materials
During the Q session, many questions were submitted, such as “Does wearing boxer briefs affect sperm?” and “I’m interested in semen analysis and want to get tested, but what kind of tests are actually performed at the hospital?” Many members asked the doctor straightforward questions to resolve their long-standing concerns.
And just like that, the 60-minute lecture on learning about and reconsidering our own bodies came to an end!
At the end, although the 32 Benefits program provides cost subsidies, we distributed free semen analysis kits to interested members to make it even easier for them to get tested!
After the seminar, we received many comments from members such as “I’ve wanted to learn about my body for a while but didn’t have the opportunity, so I’m glad I could hear this!”, “There was so much I didn’t know—it was very educational!”, and “It was a great opportunity to think about my family and partner.”
“Understanding your body” can be an opportunity to reconsider your own lifestyle and think not only about yourself but also about your family and partner, so why not actively work on “understanding your body”?
Dr. Hatta, thank you for such a fruitful seminar!
