Is the Internet Making Men Infertile? Study Links Laptops to Lowered Sperm Count
Briefs. Bicycle seats. Pot. If you happen to be a guy searching the internet for "things that reduce sperm count," first thing's first: get that laptop off your lap.
A new study published in the journal of Fertility and Sterility suggests close contact with Wi-Fi-enabled laptops fry sperm.
"Our data suggest that the use of a laptop computer wirelessly connected to the internet and positioned near the male reproductive organs may decrease human sperm quality," politely warn a team of Argentinian scientists who essentially nuked 29 samples of healthy sperm under the electromagnetic waves of a Wi-Fi connected laptop for four straight hours. What they ended up with were some very overcooked samples.
It's not the first time technological gains have been targeted in male fertility. Another study suggested keeping smartphones in your pocket didn't do any favors for sperm count either.
While it's not clear yet whether specific Wi-Fi enabled laptops or laptops in general are to blame for the sperm crisis, it's worth noting some recent data from the American Urological Association. Male fertility issues are half the reason couples struggle to conceive. In fact, one out of five men are considered sub-fertile according to the European Science Foundation. You can't blame bikes, briefs and burn-outs for everything.
Could the internet really be putting a crimp in our baby-making abilities? On the one hand, the web has offered couples a lot of, well, inspiration in the field of procreation. But if you're going to bring your laptop in the bedroom, maybe don't invite it into bed anymore.
Related:
6 ways your home is making you infertile
Why are more men become sub-fertile?
Is the male birth control next?
Surprising facts about male infertility
