Male Fertility May Be Damaged by Laptop Computers, Study Shows
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Men and teenage boys who use laptop computers may be damaging their fertility, a U.S. study shows.
The combination of the heat generated by the computer and the posture needed to balance the machine on the lap increases the temperature around a man's scrotum, which in the long term may reduce his fertility, according to researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
The study found that sitting with thighs together while balancing a laptop causes temperatures in the scrotum to rise by as much as 2.8 degrees Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit), compared with an increase of 2.1 degrees Celsius when sitting with legs together without a computer. The research was published today in the December issue of Reproduction Journal.
``Until further studies provide more information on this type of thermal exposure, teenage boys and young men may consider limiting their use of laptop computers on their laps, as long-term use may have a detrimental effect on their reproductive health,'' lead researcher Yefim Sheynkin, an associate professor of urology and director of male infertility and microsurgery at the university, said in a statement on the journal's Web site.
Sperm counts have dropped by almost a third in the past decade, the London-based Times newspaper said, citing research by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Drug use, smoking and obesity, as well as pesticides, chemicals and radioactive material may be contributory factors, the newspaper reported.
Laptop computers can reach temperatures as high as 70 degrees Celsius, according to Sheynkin, who said that by next year there will be 60 million laptops in use in the U.S. and 150 million worldwide. During the study, the median temperature of the computers used increased to 40 degrees Celsius after one hour, from a starting temperature of almost 31 degrees Celsius.
The study, which the journal said is the first research into a possible laptop-fertility link, measured scrotal temperatures in men with and without laptops. Two brands of computers were used by 29 healthy volunteers from 21 to 25.
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Men and teenage boys who use laptop computers may be damaging their fertility, a U.S. study shows.
The combination of the heat generated by the computer and the posture needed to balance the machine on the lap increases the temperature around a man's scrotum, which in the long term may reduce his fertility, according to researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
The study found that sitting with thighs together while balancing a laptop causes temperatures in the scrotum to rise by as much as 2.8 degrees Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit), compared with an increase of 2.1 degrees Celsius when sitting with legs together without a computer. The research was published today in the December issue of Reproduction Journal.
``Until further studies provide more information on this type of thermal exposure, teenage boys and young men may consider limiting their use of laptop computers on their laps, as long-term use may have a detrimental effect on their reproductive health,'' lead researcher Yefim Sheynkin, an associate professor of urology and director of male infertility and microsurgery at the university, said in a statement on the journal's Web site.
Sperm counts have dropped by almost a third in the past decade, the London-based Times newspaper said, citing research by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Drug use, smoking and obesity, as well as pesticides, chemicals and radioactive material may be contributory factors, the newspaper reported.
Laptop computers can reach temperatures as high as 70 degrees Celsius, according to Sheynkin, who said that by next year there will be 60 million laptops in use in the U.S. and 150 million worldwide. During the study, the median temperature of the computers used increased to 40 degrees Celsius after one hour, from a starting temperature of almost 31 degrees Celsius.
The study, which the journal said is the first research into a possible laptop-fertility link, measured scrotal temperatures in men with and without laptops. Two brands of computers were used by 29 healthy volunteers from 21 to 25.
