Men, your laptop may be roasting your testicles

Using a laptop computer can heat up a man's testicles to the point where sperm production and quality can drop, according to new research published on November 8 in the medical journal
Fertility and Sterility.

For the study, researchers at the University of New York at Stony Brook in the US placed temperature sensors on the scrotums of 29 men. Then the men set to work using laptop computers on their laps. After 10 to 15 minutes had elapsed, scrotum temperatures rose to levels known to damage sperm production.

"Heat from laptops is very localized, with exposure repeated often, depending on work use," said study lead urologist Dr. Yefim Sheynkin in an interview with technology news site ZDNet.

The men in the study reported not even noticing the rise in temperature. And surprisingly, researchers reported that using a laptop cooling pad or a pillow didn't help - testicle temperatures still rose.

For maximum sperm production, testicles need to remain cool, even one to two degrees below body temperature. Using a laptop computer can cause temperatures to rise by 2.5°C in one hour, according to the study.

Best position for working: use a desk. According to Sheynkin, men who use a large laptop pad and keep their legs spread wide can buy an extra 20 minutes before their testicles heat up to sperm-killing temperatures.

In other laptop news, a new study was published in the journal Pediatrics in October explaining a bizarre skin condition called "toasted skin syndrome," which results from using laptop computers on your lap for extended periods of time. The condition occurs when skin is repeatedly exposed to heat and appears as a darkened, sometimes patterned, discoloration on the skin.

To access the Fertility and Sterility study: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282%2810%2902689-0/fulltext