Laptop Wi-Fi could slow down a man's swimmers, study finds
New report out of Argentina says radiation from a notebook's Wi-Fi connection could decrease the motility of sperm while increasing its DNA fragmentation.
A new report from Argentinian scientists states that electromagnetic radiation in a laptop's Wi-Fi connection could take the swagger out of sperm.
The thought-provoking article, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, is the culmination of a study conducted by Conrado Avendano, a biochemist working for the Nascentis Center of Reproductive Medicine in Cordoba, Argentina, in conjunction with a group of medical professionals.
The study found that semen from 29 donors placed for four hours in room-temperature petri dishes 3 centimeters from a laptop actively connected to Wi-Fi showed "a significant decrease in progressive sperm motility and an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation."
Samples placed near a laptop without an active Wi-Fi connection were slightly less abnormal, according to the study. Both experiments yielded the same amount of dead sperm, which most likely occurred by heat emanating from the laptop.
Regardless, this research suggests that many males, including myself, may have been using a form of unintended birth control for the last decade. It is also likely that other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as tablets and cell phones, could pose a similar risk.
The group recommends that you may want to think twice about what sits on your lap. "A laptop connected wirelessly to the Internet on the lap near the testes may result in decreased male fertility," says the study. However, even the group notes that more research is needed on the matter before a definitive conclusion can be achieved.
(Via Reuters)