Doctors Warn Young Men: Get The Laptop Off Your Lap!

[healthmatters]

Doctors warn young men: Get the laptop off your lap
By CAROLYN ABRAHAM - MEDICAL REPORTER

Thursday, Dec 9, 2004

New medical research is about to hit the technology industry below the belt -- a provocative U.S. study has concluded that the last place any male should use a laptop computer is in his lap.

Research published today in the journal Human Reproduction has found that laptops, combined with the thighs pressed-together posture needed to balance them, give off enough heat to raise the temperature inside testicles by nearly three degrees Celsius (5.4 F).

This increase, researchers warn, could endanger the production of healthy sperm and lead to infertility.

"Some people don't use laptops on their laps, but a lot of young men, or boys, have all these wireless services and they do use them on their laps to play games or do all sorts of things, on the sofa, or the school bus, or in the backyard and this is a continuous heat exposure. . . . But in 10 or 20 years when they try to have a family they might have problems," said study leader Yefim Sheynkin, a urologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

So where should men use a laptop? "Use it on a desk," he said, "anywhere but on the lap."

If the findings sound, well, nuts, no doctor is likely to dismiss them.

The health of sperm globally has been a subject of great concern for the past 12 years. Reports, particularly from Western countries, suggest sperm counts and quality have been declining for half a century, while testicular-cancer rates are rising. The phenomenon remains controversial, but no one disputes that semen has its environmental enemies -- and heat is one of them.

Heat is known to mangle the traditional tadpole shape of sperm, as well as limit numbers, stunt sperm growth and make them sluggish. "If [Dr. Sheynkin] can measure that difference in temperature [with laptop use], it is significant, but it needs more study," said male-infertility expert Victor Chow, a consultant with the University of British Columbia's Centre for Reproductive Health. "We need to know if it actually lowers sperm counts . . . or [if] the only thing you can say about it is that laptops heat up testes."

But Christopher Wood, a 30-year-old consultant with Maverick Public Relations in Toronto and a laptop enthusiast, is already reconsidering his favorite weekend ritual.

Ever since his girlfriend bought a laptop five months ago, Mr. Wood has spent Sunday mornings snuggled in bed, leaning back with coffee in hand, watching DVD movies on the laptop, which is perched, naturally, on his lap.
"I never thought it could impact my ability to have children," Mr. Wood said. "I mean it would be really sad that I would not be able to have children because I decided to watch Shrek in bed."

Most people assume, he said, that the main risks of computer use are strained wrists or aching backs. But he admitted that the notion that a laptop's heat may be hazardous to his reproductive parts is not a complete surprise: The warmth the machine generates through his duvet and sheets on Sunday mornings is intolerable.

"I haven't been able to get through a whole movie yet," he said. "I don't think I'm doing myself any favors."

Dr. Sheynkin conducted the study over two one-hour sessions with 29 healthy men aged 21 to 35. In one session, researchers recorded the temperature of the subjects' scrotums as they sat with thighs together as though using a laptop. In the second session, the researchers took scrotal temperatures again, but this time the men had a working laptop that heated up from 31 C to 40 C at the end of the one-hour experiment.
Sitting with thighs together increased testicular temperature by 2.1 C. When the laptop was added, the temperature rose to a median 2.6 C in the left testicle and 2.8 C in the right. Studies have shown that increases of more than one degree can have a negative effect on sperm development.

Dr. Sheynkin said sperm production may take up to six months to recover from heat damage, and chronic exposure may have long-term effects.

There are no known studies of the effects of laptops on women's fertility.

[George Wade]

I would like to ask if the effects of temperature on the testes are quantifiable? Reversable? And other practical questions about whether this is an effective contraceptive method...

A present of a warm scrotum sock for Christmas might start up a new, natural birth control industry.

My question is mostly serious!

Regards,

George Wade

[Mike Goldfarb]

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[MadScientist]

I just started researching this topic tonight, because Ive finally figured out something. For 3 years, my left testicle has been in chronic pain, and no doctors knew what it was. One thought it was a ruptured semen sack, another thought it might actually be some kind of torision (it was also slighly deformed). But a couple days ago, i made a connection. I do computer work with my laptop everynight, im a programmer. And as you might suspect, i do all my work while laying in bed, with my laptop in my lap. And all the heat generated from it is on the left side. Also, i bought this laptop 3 years ago! So, i thought that maybe the laptops heat was causing problems. I havent put the laptop in my lap for 3 days, and my pain is finally going away! My point to this reply is, that overexposure to a laptop can also cause pain and even testicular deformation, it tightens up and becomes more eliptical.

[Ken Watson]

I am currently a teenager (14) whose rest of his body has gone all the wya through puberty but testes and penis have not (2 inch limp, testes no drop). I have used my laptop computer everyday for about 1.5 hours on my lap since around 10 months ago. I have stopped but in addition to this i have ejaculated almost everyday since 1.5 years ago. I know i am in danger but can i do something about this besides stop?? Will any other growth take place?? Please help whether the answers be negative or positive!

[Health Dr. 2]

Hi Ken,

I would highly suggest that you go to your healthcare professional as he/she will be able to instruct you about how to approach your concerns.

Unfortunately, we are unable to give suggestions to anyone under 18.

Take Care & Be Well,
Health Dr. 2