Sperm Quality Affected by Cell Phones

Sperm quality affected by cell phones?  Are you leaving your cell phone on the talk mode in your shirt or pants pocket?  The Cleveland Clinic says from a recent research this will decrease your sperm quality.  This study showed even though we consider our cell phone to be safe, it might cause some harmful effects because of the proximity and exposure the phone causes to the gonads.

The researchers also indicated an increase in oxidative stress such as a significant increase in free radicals and oxidants and a decrease in antioxidants.  Evidence of oxidative stress can appear under other conditions, including exposure to certain environmental pollutants or infections in the urinary genital tract.

An 85 percent average increase of the amount of free radicals were found during the study by all participants.  If you read one of my earlier posts, I talked about free radicals being linked to a variety of degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes, parkinsons, and heart disease to name just a few.

Keep in mind this research does have major limitations because of the small sample size.  Since this research was done in a lab it can’t account for any protection the human body may offer, such as bone, tissue and layers of skin.

The semen in the research group was placed 2.5 centimeters from an 850 MHz cell phone for 1 hour while in talk mode.  The measurement of 2.5 centimeters to mimic the distance between the trouser pockets and the testes was used since a lot of men keep a cell phone in their pants pocket while using a headset to communicate.

In a previous research it was noted men who talked more than four hours a day did have lower sperm quality than those who talked much less.  This study was based on reports from 361 participants.  Joe Farren, a spokesman for the CTIA-the Wireless Association, did not give this report any merit.

The study also reported it is probably too early for men to make any changes the way they carry their cell phones.  Even though there is no concrete evidence here for you to stop leaving your cell phone in your shirt or pants pocket while in talk mode, you might want to give it a little thought.

If you would like to read the complete 9 page study click here.

To your health and well being,

Joyce Jacobsen