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Men, take heed – your lifestyle could be catching up with you in the trouser department.

A new study published in the latest issue of Fertility and Sterility warns that the Wi-Fi from your laptop could make you infertile.

The article was selected by Martine Nijs, Faculty Member in Diabetes & Endocrinology, who emphasised that this is the first study to demonstrate a clear negative influence of laptop Wi-Fi on both sperm motility and sperm DNA integrity. She warned,

Men should be cautious about using a laptop for extended periods of time not only because these computers generate heat and can increase scrotal temperature {1} that is deleterious to spermatogenesis but also because, as shown here, the active Wi-Fi connections could induce DNA damage in their spermatozoa.

Ouch.

Of course, it’s not only men whose fertility is negatively affected by modern lifestyles. A study from November last year reports that a lack of vitamin D might impact negatively upon the female reproductive system. Bryan Larsen, Faculty Member in Women’s Health, highlighted this article, saying,

The complexity of vitamin D’s actions results in part from the fact that it modulates the activity of thousands of genes, so may influence many aspects of pregnancy and parturition that may or may not involve calcium metabolism.

So just another two more things to add to the growing list of modern issues that could affect fertility. Already on the list are cigarettes, mobile phones, obesity and – bizarrely – botox.