Men now need to be aware that using those laptop computers may cook sperm counts, reducing production of those little swimmers: research shows that increased temperatures from laptops can basically burn out those testicles--or at least turn up the heat in a major way, to decrease male fertility.
As it turns out, “toasted legs syndrome” isn’t the only risk associated with laptop computer use—--this risk is male-specific, and means guys could end up with less kids.
More and more men are now using laptops instead of desktop computers: the laptop os more convenient--allowing wireless technology use and all the ease of stuff like Bluetooth and infrared connections. The downside, at least for males: the combination of high heat temperatures generated by laptop computers, and the unnatural posture required by guys in order to balance laptops on guys' laps, is leading to some cooking body temperatures around the scrotum. Those higher temperatures can reduce male fertility and drop sperm counts.
For men, the problem is frying the little guys.
Men normally tend to sit with legs further apart than women, not only for comfort, but to naturally keep testicles in an ideal temperature zone. When guys sit differently, including sitting with their legs closer together so to balance a computer, the new sitting position may put specific zones at risk. Typically the testicles' position outside of the body makes sure that testicles stay a few degrees cooler than the inside of the body—a necessity for regular sperm production. So, heat is literally rising for guys, between the thighs, when they keep those legs together. That's without a computer involved--adding a laptop can start to make things "burn".
Young guys in particular tend spend a lot of time on laptops—working, studying or gaming, making the age range of males most at risk. Teenagers tend to spend extremely long hours on laptops, with what could be a possible long-term damage to male fertility.
Researchers from the State University of New York say that guys simply adjusting sitting positions, to thighs together, can cause scrotal temperatures to rise by 3.78 degrees Fahrenheit (a rise of 2.1 degrees Celcius). Adding a laptop to the mix of already increased temperatures makes the increase shoot up further: using a laptop causes temperatures to rise about another .9 degrees Fahrenheit (a rise of .5 degrees Celcius) on one side of the scrotum, and an increase of about 1.26 degrees Fahrenheit (a rise of.7 degrees Celcius) on the other side of the scrotum.
The male fertility study by the State University of New York has found that within only the first 15 minutes of using a laptop, scrotal temperatures had skyrocketed by 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (a rise of 1 degrees Celcius)--pretty much bad news for male sperm count numbers.
Overall, mens’ sperm counts have dropped by nearly one-third in the short span of about ten years—related to numerous factors including drug use, alcohol, smoking and obesity, as well as things like pesticides and radioactivity in the environment. Right now, researchers don’t know exactly how much frequency and time of heat exposure, from laptops, could lead to reversible or irreversible changes in sperm count and production—docs do, however, warn that frequent use of laptops over years’ time--without sufficient recovery time between computer exposure to the increased heat temperatures—could cause irreversible changes in male reproductive function.
In the meantime, until researchers know more, they’re recommending that guys who want kids consider limiting hours on their laptops or alternate with desktops.
Some guys have the opposite "problem"—so for men who want to actually reduce their sperm count on purpose, check out the attached link: “How to Use Warm Water to Reduce Your Sperm Count”