Rumored Sperm Killer: Laptops

In terms of both sperm count and sperm quality, there is some evidence that a laptop with a Wi-Fi connection might be a sperm killer. In a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, samples of sperm were collected from 29 men and stored either normally or under a laptop with a wireless connection. The sperm in the laptop sample had decreased motility and more DNA damage, factors that could hurt the chances of reproduction.

Ryan Terlecki, MD, an assistant professor of urology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., said that heat is another factor with a laptop that might affect sperm quality. "It is well established that heat has the ability to adversely affect semen parameters," Dr. Terlecki said. However, he added that more research is still needed.