A study involving 361 males has found that spending several hours a day on a cell phone can lower the quality of a man’s sperm, according to preliminary research.

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic (an infertility clinic) found a correlation between the patients’ cell phone use and their sperm quality. Men who used their cell phone a lot had lower sperm counts, and a greater percentage of abnormal sperm.

In general, the researchers found, sperm count and sperm quality tended to decline as daily cell phone hours increased. Men who reported that they used their phones for more than four hours each day had the lowest average sperm count and the fewest normal, viable sperm.

Lead researcher Dr. Ashok Agarwal said:

Our results show a strong association of cell phone use with decreased semen quality. However, they do not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

The findings, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, add to questions about the potential health risks of cell phones and other wireless devices. Other studies had linked long-term cell phone use to a higher risk of brain tumours, although several other studies found no such connection.

Dr. Agarwal said:

We infer from our results that heavy cell phone use [...] is associated with a lower semen quality, but whether cell phones somehow directly affect men’s fertility is not clear.

Agarwal added that he and his colleagues have two other studies underway, aiming to shed light on the issue. In the first, they are exposing semen samples to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones to see what, if any, effects occur.

The second study is a follow-up to the current study, in which they will assess a larger group of men. Agarwal said that this study is more rigorously designed and will take into consideration other factors, such as lifestyle, habits and occupational exposures that could potentially affect sperm quality.

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Posted by Jonathan in Biochemistry, Biology

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