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Study Hints That Wi-Fi Near Testes Could Decrease Male Fertility

Posted by timothy on from the does-not-bode-well-for-me dept.

Pierre Bezukhov submits news of a report that "a laptop connected wirelessly to the internet on the lap near the testes may result in decreased male fertility," writing "'[The scientists who conducted the research] placed healthy sperms under a laptop running a Wi-Fi connection. After four hours, the Wi-Fi exposed sperms showed 'a significant decrease in progressive sperm motility and an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation' compared to healthy sperms stored for the same time in the same temperature away from the computer. That is, the sperms exposed to Wi-Fi were less capable of moving towards an egg to fertilize it and less capable of passing on the male's DNA if it does fertilize an egg.' The scientists blamed the damage on non-thermal electromagnetic radiation generated by the Wi-Fi." However, the experiment was based on sperm outside the body; the researchers (here's the abstract from their study) note that "Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to prove this contention."

4 of 307 comments (clear)

  1. Its a study that admits its incomplete by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and still people will use this as FUD for the next 3 decades.

  2. Re:That's not a bug, it's a feature by somersault · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Trolling aside, this experiment doesn't sound like it had a control group, ie a laptop with no wi-fi being held over your balls. Heat in that area is known to decrease fertility. The experiment as described in the summary has nothing to do with wi-fi.

    (no, I didn't RTFA).

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    which is totally what she said
  3. They're claiming it's not thermal damage by bandy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yet every modern laptop has its wifi antennas carefully routed alongside the screen so that their polarization will match the WAP's polarization. Laptops get hot. Sperm want to live at 97F (definitely not at 98.6, which is average body temperature). What have they previously published? I smell an agenda.

    --
    "You might as well get your son a ticket to hell as give him a five string banjo." -unknown minister
  4. Re:That's not a bug, it's a feature by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Therefore did not test to see if any gasses released from the plastics in the laptop could be the effect. They are testing cells exposed to the environment not inside of it's intended sealed container.

    Lots of variables they did not account for.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.