Heated Car Seats Might Hit the Chances of Fatherhood

by Rama Kant Mishra    September 05, 2008

In a chilly winter day you might really enjoy driving your vehicle seating on a heated car seat and that would definitely provide you comfort too. However, that might steal away your chances of becoming a father, suggests a new study.

Researchers warn that the heated seats could damage sperm production by raising men's scrotum temperature to unhealthy levels. The optimal temperature between 35 and 36 degree Celsius is scientifically known to produce healthy sperm. That is why the testicles hang outside the main part of the body.

To test, how the heated car seats might raise the scrotal temperatures above this threshold, Andreas Jung at the University of Giessen in Germany and his colleagues fitted temperature sensors to the scrotums of 30 healthy men, who then sat on a heated car seat for 90 minutes. Within an hours time scrotal temperature rose to an average of 37.3 degree Celsius, with a maximum temperature in one man of 39.7 degree Celsius whereas men who sat on unheated car seats reached an average scrotal temperature of just 36.7 degree Celsius only.

Although that’s only a slight increase due to the heated seats, Jung notes that it may nevertheless be enough to damage the sperm production process. Sitting in a car for long periods of time, even without a heated seat, is already known to raise scrotal temperatures. A previous research has revealed that couples take longer time to conceive if the man drives for more than 3 hours a day. Jung and his team did not test the effect of the heated seat on sperm quality or quantity.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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