Cell phone use lowers sperm count

International researchers have found that using a cell phone has a negative effect on male fertility. The researchers say that the study is in its early stages and that the first results are somewhat inconclusive. They have confirmed a link between the electromagnetic waves coming from the cell phone and a reduced sperm count in the men who own and use a mobile device.

Randy Shamloul, the leader of the study, at Queens University, along with another team of researchers from the United States and Austria, found that men who owned cell phones have a lower sperm count than men who do not. "We were expecting to find different results, but the results we did find suggest that there could be some intriguing mechanisms at work." Dr.Shamoul said.

It is not clear yet how long it takes for negative effect to occur. The study took place between 1993 and 2007 at an Austrian infertility clinic. There, the sperm of over 2,000 men was collected and examined. The participants of the study were asked if they owned and used cell phones at the beginning of the study. Those who used one on a daily basis were labeled cell phone users. Higher levels of testosterone were found in regular cell phone users, but lower levels of luteinizing hormone, which is a reproductive hormone that is secreted by the pituitary gland. It is these lower levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) that lead to reduced fertility in men.

This is not the first study that has been done on the effects of EMW radiation damage to sperm DNA from cell phone use. The Center for Reproductive Medicine, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, and Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women’s Health Institute, in Cleveland,Ohio demonstrated that cell phone radiation causes oxidative stress in semen and leads to decreases in spermatozoa motility and viability. "The fact that many men carry their cell phones in a pants pocket (or clipped to their belts at the waist) while using Bluetooth is important. This technology exposes the testes to high-power-density cell phone radiation compared with the cell phone in standby mode. Based on our in vitro results, we can speculate that carrying a cell phone in a pocket may cause deterioration of sperm quality through oxidative stress."

A list of twenty different brands of cell phones that emit the highest amount of EMW radiation can be found at CNET Reviews.


The research comes just two months after mobile phone users in the UK were advised by the Government to text or use hands free devices to make calls.The Department of Health said this would reduce the user's exposure to reduce radiation emitted by the devices. Whether or not you should give up your phone if you're family planning is anybody's guess. You could err on the side of caution and only use your phone in hands free mode. You could wait for another study to be taken an completed. Keep in mind though, the results of the last study were gathered over a period of fourteen years. You may not like the results of the next study.

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