- Conrado Avendaño, M.S.,
- Ariela Mata, M.S.,
- César A. Sanchez Sarmiento, M.D., Ph.D.,
- Gustavo F. Doncel, M.D., Ph.D.
Received 14 June 2011; received in revised form 9 September 2011; accepted 11 October 2011. published online 23 November 2011.
Corrected Proof
Design
Prospective in vitro study.
Setting
Center for reproductive medicine.
Patient(s)
Semen samples from 29 healthy donors.
Intervention(s)
Motile sperm were selected by swim up. Each sperm suspension was divided into two aliquots. One sperm aliquot (experimental) from each patient was exposed to an internet-connected laptop by Wi-Fi for 4 hours, whereas the second aliquot (unexposed) was used as control, incubated under identical conditions without being exposed to the laptop.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Evaluation of sperm motility, viability, and DNA fragmentation.
Result(s)
Donor sperm samples, mostly normozoospermic, exposed ex vivo during 4 hours to a wireless internet-connected laptop showed a significant decrease in progressive sperm motility and an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation. Levels of dead sperm showed no significant differences between the two groups.
Conclusion(s)
To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the direct impact of laptop use on human spermatozoa. Ex vivo exposure of human spermatozoa to a wireless internet-connected laptop decreased motility and induced DNA fragmentation by a nonthermal effect. We speculate that keeping a laptop connected wirelessly to the internet on the lap near the testes may result in decreased male fertility. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to prove this contention.
Key Words: Laptop computer, Wi-Fi, sperm quality, fertility, sperm DNA fragmentation
