Andre Yoskowitz
8 Nov 2010 18:30
According to a new study published in Fertility and Sterility, using a notebook on your lap for extended periods of time can lead to reduced sperm quality, and there is really nothing we can do about it.
Yelim Sheynkin, a urologist that lead the study from the State University of New York at Stony Brook said: "Millions and millions of men are using laptops now, especially those in the reproductive age range. Within 10 or 15 minutes their scrotal temperature is already above what we consider safe, but they don't feel it."
For the study, 29 men had their scrotal temperature taken with thermometers as they balanced notebooks on their laps.
Even if you are using a lap pad, the temperatures were still dangerous.
Warming the scrotum just 2 degrees Fahrenheit can lead to damaged sperm, adds Sheynkin. After one hour of having a notebook on your lap, your scrotum can heat up as much as 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
One in every six couples in the U.S. has trouble conceiving a baby, with a main culprit being male infertility, says the American Urological Association.
What should you do? Every 15 minutes give your "boys" some time to cool down.