Gentlemen who carry a cell phone in their pants pocket may unknowingly reduce their chances of having children, confirms an analysis published by Environment International. The microwaves emitted by these devices reduce the quality of sperm.
Mobile phones emit electromagnetic radiation – radio waves in the microwave range. For this reason, their impact on human health has been the subject of intense research in recent years. Earlier work has already indicated that the myrophils emitted by these devices may have a detrimental effect on male fertility.
The team, led by Dr. Fiona Mathews from the University of Exeter (Great Britain), analyzed the results of 10 studies, which included a total of nearly 1,5 thousand people. men, including patients of fertility clinics. Three parameters of their sperm quality were assessed: sperm motility (i.e. their ability to move towards the egg), viability (i.e. the percentage of live sperm in the ejaculate) and the number per unit of the ejaculate.
It turned out that exposure to the waves emitted by cell phones decreased sperm motility by an average of 8 percentage points, as well as the percentage of viable sperm in the ejaculate. The effect of these devices on the sperm count was less visible.
This study clearly indicates that exposure to electromagnetic waves associated with carrying a cell phone in a trouser pocket can negatively affect sperm quality. This may be of particular importance for men whose fertility is already at risk and future research is needed to determine what the consequences for the entire population may be, comments Dr Mathews. The researcher estimates that this is important because mobile phones are currently used on a large scale in the world. (PAP)