A study released last week shows that high heat from laptops could lead to a shortage of power below the belt for men.
The study, which was published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility, shows there might be a potential link between decreased fertility for men and heat from laptops.
Leg position is a primary factor, said Dr. Denis Healey, a urologist at Bay Medical Center in Panama City who completed his residency at UF.
He believes that laptop trays, which are designed to cool the bottom of a laptop, are not as effective as simply keeping an open-leg position.
It’s one of the most heat-sensitive areas of the body, and just a few degrees of temperature change can profoundly affect performance, he said.
“I believe that there is going to be a lot more fertility problems in the future as a result of laptop usage,” Healey said.
After avoiding heat for six months to a year, sperm counts can increase back to normal.
However, Healey warned that the longer the period of heat exposure, the more permanent the damage becomes.
Under a microscope, he said that he can easily tell which sperm have been damaged by heat.
“The sperm have blown-up heads. A lot of them will either have no tails or very short tails. It’s very noticeable,” he said.
Dr. Johannes Vieweg, chairman of the Department of Urology at UF, said the study is part of a larger effort to determine why fertility rates are dropping in developed countries.
There are alarming trends, particularly in Europe, that suggest that infertility is becoming more pronounced, he said.
Both doctors agree on the importance of prevention and a simple self-examination that can detect many testicular and fertility problems.
If men do notice changes, Vieweg recommends that they go to the doctor without being ashamed.
“Urology isn’t something that naturally calls to you,” Healey said. “If we can prevent this from becoming a problem, everyone benefits.”
