Fact Check: Can Keeping a Laptop on Your Lap Cause Male Infertility?
Claim: A reel posted on YouTube claims that sitting cross-legged and keeping a laptop on a lap can affect male fertility. It states that heat from the laptop can raise the temperature of the testicles which can affect the production of sperm affecting fertility. The speaker recommends using a table. The video can be accessed here.
Fact Check: Mostly True.
What is male infertility?
The World Health Organization ( WHO) has defined Male infertility as a man's inability to cause pregnancy in a fertile female. It is typically diagnosed after a couple has been unable to conceive after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. Male infertility can result from deficiencies in sperm production, function, or delivery. (1)
What are the causes of male infertility?
Male infertility can be caused by a variety of factors that affect sperm production, sperm function, or sperm delivery. Here are some of the common causes:
- Varicocele: A swelling of the veins that drain the testicle, which is the most common reversible cause of male infertility. It can decrease sperm quality.
- Infections: Infections such as epididymitis, orchitis, and some sexually transmitted infections including gonorrhea or HIV can impair sperm production or sperm health.
The Medical Dialogues Fact Check Team spoke with Dr Manisha Singh, Senior Consultant - Gynaecology & Reproductive Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Bangalore she explained, “Experimental studies have shown that electromagnetic eaves emitted from cell phones and laptops can compromise the sperm production and characteristic in men. Although hardcore and conclusive evidence is lacking. The testes in a man are placed in the scrotum which has a one degree less temperature than the rest of the body. So, prolonged sitting and use of the laptop that can potentially heat up that area can potentially compromise the sperm production and also the sperm characteristics. This in the long run may affect male fertility. As far as miscarriage is concerned, if sperm characteristics are altered, the resulting embryo may be faulty, increasing the risk of miscarriage. Miscarriage can happen to anyone and cannot be solely attributed to laptop use.
Dr. Chirag Bhandari, Director at Bhandari Hospital and Research Centre, Jaipur added,” In my opinion, the claim is right. The logic behind it is that the heat from the laptop can damage the testicles, leading to reduced sperm production and causing male infertility. The testes are located outside the body, making them 2 degrees cooler than the body, which is necessary for their optimal functioning. An increase in temperature can occur from sitting cross-legged for a long time with a laptop or from excessive use of steam or saunas. This temperature rise can affect sperm production and lead to male infertility. The best way to avoid this is to limit using a laptop on your lap, using a table for the laptop, or placing a pillow in between to decrease heat production. Therefore, the claim is correct.”
What lifestyle changes can improve male fertility?
Dr Manisha Singh further explains," The most important thing is that you should not have prolonged hours of sitting. If you do a desk job you should get up every hour and walk around for 5-10 minutes. Wear loose clothes- avoid wearing tight jeans and underwear. Men must avoid saunas, jacuzzi and hot baths that can basically heat up the scrotum and their by the testes. Men should not keep mobile phones in trouser pockets and laptop should be kept on the desk rather than the lap. Vitamin C rich diet is recommended. Avoid taking excessive protein and steroid supplements. Women need to cut down screen time on the laptop or mobiles as it increases the strain on the eyes which leads to an increase in stress level, anxiety increases and all of this has a negative impact on the woman as well as her pregnancy. Therefore, by cutting down screen time, switching off wifi by 10."
Medical Dialogues Final Take:
Scientific evidence and medical consensus suggest that the heat from laptops, when used directly on the lap, can increase scrotal temperatures, potentially impairing sperm production and quality. Studies like those by Mortazavi et al. and Sheynkin et al. have demonstrated significant rises in scrotal temperature associated with prolonged laptop use on the lap, which can negatively affect sperm health and overall male fertility. Additionally, electromagnetic fields emitted from laptops might further contribute to sperm quality degradation.
Hence, the claim is MOSTLY TRUE.
Reference:
1. World Health Organization. (2023). Infertility. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infertility
2. Mortazavi, S. A., Taeb, S., Mortazavi, S. M., Zarei, S., Haghani, M., Habibzadeh, P., & Shojaei-Fard, M. B. (2016). The Fundamental Reasons Why Laptop Computers should not be Used on Your Lap. Journal of biomedical physics & engineering, 6(4), 279–284.
3. Sheynkin, Y., Jung, M., Yoo, P., Schulsinger, D., & Komaroff, E. (2005). Increase in scrotal temperature in laptop computer users. Human reproduction (Oxford, England), 20(2), 452–455. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deh616
4. Mortazavi, S. A., Taeb, S., Mortazavi, S. M., Zarei, S., Haghani, M., Habibzadeh, P., & Shojaei-Fard, M. B. (2016). The Fundamental Reasons Why Laptop Computers should not be Used on Your Lap. Journal of biomedical physics & engineering, 6(4), 279–284.
5. Agarwal, A., Majzoub, A., Baskaran, S., Panner Selvam, M. K., Cho, C. L., Henkel, R., Finelli, R., Leisegang, K., Sengupta, P., Barbarosie, C., Parekh, N., Alves, M. G., Ko, E., Arafa, M., Tadros, N., Ramasamy, R., Kavoussi, P., Ambar, R., Kuchakulla, M., Robert, K. A., … Shah, R. (2020). Sperm DNA Fragmentation: A New Guideline for Clinicians. The world journal of men's health, 38(4), 412–471. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.200128
Disclaimer: This website is primarily for healthcare professionals. The content here does not replace medical advice and should not be used as medical, diagnostic, endorsement, treatment, or prescription advice. Medical science evolves rapidly, and we strive to keep our information current. If you find any discrepancies, please contact us at corrections@medicaldialogues.in. Read our Correction Policy here. Nothing here should be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do not endorse any healthcare advice that contradicts a physician's guidance. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Advertisement Policy. For more details, read our Full Disclaimer here.
NOTE: Join us in combating medical misinformation. If you encounter a questionable health, medical, or medical education claim, email us at factcheck@medicaldialogues.in for evaluation.