Is there any connection at all between mints and sexual problems? I
take Altoids a lot and a few of my friends have told me that mints can
cause sexual problems, such as not being able to produce sperm,
impotence or erectile dysfunction, etc. Is there any truth to this at
all or is this just an urban legend in our place? As of this point, I
am still hesitant to continue taking Altoids because of what they've
said. Any relevant information between mints and sexual problems
would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

This is my first time on Google Answers, so I'm not really sure
whether it is appropriate to give an answering-like comment before a
professional has had a look at it, but, I'm already started!

Well, If you ask me it is something like an urban legend or a joke,
because with a meta-search engine I can't find any possible connection
between Altoids and sexual dysfunctions. I did find an article on the
internet that states a question from someone about a possible
connection between getting Mad Cow disease from the gelatin in Altoids
and vitamins, but a professional doctor answers there is no likely
connection.

You can find the article here: http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/16546.html

I hope this cleared up a bit already.

Regards,

CyberSpaceStar

Welcome to GA, cyberspacestar-ga,
I agree:  "urban legend", or we would all have heard about this long ago.

Thanks that was what I was wondering as well, not a single article
whatsoever on the net.  Thanks cyberspacestar and myoarin for your
inputs. Perhaps I should be worrying more about the sugar content. :)
Nevertheless, this question is still open to both fellow Google
Answers surfers and researchers, if there's anything that can be
added.

Don't thank me :P It was a pleasure ;)

Well, I have no documented information either, but I thought of a
theoretical way that this might actually be true. Mints contain
salicylic acid, which is unacetylated aspirin. This may cause some
inhibition of certain enzymes such as COX enzymes (not sure if
salicylic acid can do this unacetylated) which inhibits prostaglandin
production, and prostaglandins are contained in semen (they cause the
uterus to contract, etc...). So may inhibit fertility? But if that
were true so would aspirin. I don't know... just a thought.

I wonder if this rumor may have started when someone misunderstood a
popular joke in which a young man asks a priest what kind of oral
contraceptive is best. The priest answers, "Altoids." The young man
asks "Before sex, or after?" The priest says "Instead of."

And playing cards can keep a girl from getting pregnant  - clamped
between her knees.

I know ... ,  we don't need further discussion of the inefficacy of either ...