Fertility experts are warning men that using a mobile for as little as an hour a day is "cooking sperm" and lowering levels, significantly.
The new study shows that having a mobile phone close to the testicles - or within a foot or two of the body - can lower sperm levels so much that conceiving could be difficult.
The study - by respected fertility specialists - found that sperm levels of men who kept their phones in their pocket during the day were seriously affected in 47% of cases, compared to just 11% in the general population.
Professor Martha Dirnfeld said: "We analysed the amount of active swimming sperm and the quality, and found that it had been reduced. We think this is being caused by a heating of the sperm from the phone and by electromagnetic activity."
Another study, published this January, showed that their main finding was the increased DNA damage to the brain after 10 days of exposure! In another study published this year, the conclusion states, "there is reasonable evidence to suggest caution for using mobile phones to prevent auditory damage and the onset or worsening of tinnitus." Another study, published in November, echoes the consistent findings. Although this study from Turkey was conducted on rats, it showed that mobile phone electromagnetic radiation and Wi-Fi devices showed reduced prolactin, and progesterone and oestrogen levels, and it increases oxidative stress. September 2015, another study on over 1,000 men stated, "the total motile sperm count and the progressive motile sperm count decreased due to the increase of internet usage." Finally, again from September 2015, "Our findings suggest that certain aspects of cell phone usage may bear adverse effects on sperm concentration. Investigation using large-scale studies is thus needed."
I recently read a review paper regarding mobile phones and the potential damage that they are having on our bodies. I am now convinced that this type of concentrated radiation is having a negative impact on our health, let alone on our fertility.
If you are like me, it is hard to get away from your phone, your tablet, the laptop and especially Wi-Fi devices. I know that I will be trying to limit my exposure to these devices as best one can. Here are a few simple things that you can do:
-
Do not sleep with devices in the bedroom, even if they are off; this has saved you at least eight hours of exposure
-
Try to avoid long conversations (very easy in some cases)
-
Use hands-free kits and speaker phone where possible
-
If you must carry your cell phone on you, make sure that the keypad is positioned toward your body
-
Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body at all times
-
SAR = Specific Absorption Rate, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body. Perform an internet search on your device and see what it reveals
At times, easier said than done, for sure! I do not expect that, by avoiding proximity to mobile devices, it will lead to hundreds of children being born; but as you know, with the rise of infertility, the hormonal problems faced by men and women, and the decrease in overall sperm counts, it is about all the things that you can do to improve your chances.
References
