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Wi-Fi increases the risk of infertility among men
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Argentine scientists in their report in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility claim that Wi-Fi affects male fertility, increasing the risk of infertility.
The researchers analyzed sperm from 29 healthy men and then placed the samples in a Wi-Fi zone. Four hours later, the scientists re-analyzed the sperm and were shocked - a quarter of the sperm no longer moved, compared to 14% of sperm samples stored at the same temperature away from the computer. Nine percent of the sperm had DNA damage - three times more than the control samples.
"It's all due to electromagnetic radiation generated by wireless communications," says Conrado Avendano of the Reproductive Center in Cordoba.
"Our data show that wireless internet connection technologies and laptop placement near the genitals can significantly worsen sperm quality in men," the scientists wrote in their report.
Currently, scientists do not know whether this effect is caused by all laptops connected to Wi-Fi or whether there are some other conditions causing this effect.
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A separate test with the laptop turned on but not wirelessly connected showed negligible electromagnetic radiation.
Many scientists around the world are studying the impact of wireless technologies on humans.
Some have found that radiation from mobile phones impairs sperm quality in lab tests, and last year urologists warned that using a laptop on your lap could raise a man's scrotal temperature to levels that negatively impact sperm quality.
Dr Oates, president of the Society of Male Reproduction and Urology, said he did not believe laptops posed a significant threat to men's reproductive health. No studies had yet looked at the impact of laptops on fertility and pregnancy outcomes.
However, according to the American Urological Association, about one in six couples in the United States have trouble conceiving.
Although the impact of modern technology on human health is still not well understood, lifestyle plays a crucial role in reproductive status, scientists say.