Why does science ask men to keep gadgets at arm’s length? Here’s why

Newer research shows that prolonged exposure to heat can trigger oxidative stress in the testicular tissue, resulting in damaged sperms and reduced fertility in males.

It is not uncommon for men to use a multitude of electronic gadgets and keep them close to their chest or even thigh. Though seemingly harmless, it can affect male fertility, experts have said.

Male fertility is defined as the inability of a male to achieve a pregnancy after one year of unprotected intercourse.

While poor lifestyle, low sperm count, poor sperm quality, infections, genetic reasons are the frontline causes of male infertility, science has discovered another and it has to do with electronic gadgets.

Some studies while understanding the connection between heat and sperm health discovered how electronic gadgets like laptops, phones and other kinds can slightly alter the testicular temperature, affecting the process of sperm making and also exposing it to electromagnetic radiation.

Testes and heat

It is not accidental that a scrotum (a muscular sac of skin near holding the testicles) lies outside the body – there is a reason for it.

The testicular tissue needs a two to three degrees cooler environment than the body temperature to make sperms, using a process called spermatogenesis.

Newer research shows that prolonged exposure to heat can trigger oxidative stress (increasing reactive molecules) in the testicular tissue, resulting in damaged sperms and reduced fertility in males.

The study suggests that an elevated temperature can make it difficult for the excessive heat to escape through arterial diffusion and get stored in the testes as heat stress.

When the heat initiates oxidative stress in the testes, cellular components like lipids, proteins and nucleic acid start to get contaminated.

If the heat exposure is prolonged, it can eventually start affecting the number of healthy swimmers produced by the tissue.

Other studies have found a similar correlation between laptop use near the scrotum and poor sperm quality.

A fertility expert speaking to Medical Dialogues stated that when a male sits cross-legged with a laptop on thighs, the combination can elevate the scrotal temperature.

In fact, electromagnetic radiation around gadgets like microwave ovens, mobile phones and even wifi could also increase the temperature around the scrotal sac.