Laptop Use can Make Men Sterile

This article provides interesting information leading researchers to believe that with the increased use of laptop computers by males there is a greater risk of becoming infertile.

Men, if you value your fertility – be wary of your laptop computer. According to a new study, laptop computers may contribute to infertility and sterility in men.

Laptop Risks: Sterility in Men?

In a study presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting, researchers took sperm samples from fifteen men. Some of the samples were exposed to radio frequency electromagnetic waves from WiFi for four hours, while the remainder were not. At the end of the four hours, the sperm exposed to the WiFi signal from a laptop were not only less mobile, but they had more DNA fragmentation and damage. DNA houses the all-important genetic material that codes for proteins that control the cell. Decreased sperm motility is a common cause of male infertility problems since sperm have to be mobile enough to reach and fertilize the egg.

Can Laptops Cause Sterility in Men?

This isn't the first time there have been concerns about laptop risks and male infertility. In a previous study, researchers found that laptops heat up the scrotum and testicles when men place them in their lap. This can contribute to sterility in men since the testicles need to be several degrees cooler than the rest of the body to produce healthy sperm. This study shows that there may also be a non-thermal effect of laptops on sperm counts and that the stimulus may be the electromagnetic waves that come from WiFi. These waves seem to damage DNA and decrease sperm motility.

Male Sterility: Laptop Risks Times Two

It seems that laptops contribute to male infertility in two ways – by overheating the testicles and by the effects of WiFi on sperm DNA. Either way, using a laptop could make it more difficult to conceive.

Laptop Risks and Male Sterility: The Bottom Line?

If you use a laptop computer, put it on a table – not in your lap. No one knows for sure whether the damage laptop computers do to sperm are temporary or permanent. But why take the chance? Laptops are portable and convenient, but, if you're a male, don't let them damage your sperm and keep you from conceiving.