Struggling to conceive? Your man’s smartphone obsession could be hampering your chances of success.
An Israeli study of 106 men has revealed that men who talk on their mobile phones for more than an hour a day have a lower sperm quality than those who do not. Talking on the phone while it was plugged into a charger doubled the effects.
Scientists believe the electromagnetic waves emitted by smartphones can ‘cook’ sperm – even while the device is simply resting in your pocket. According to the Technion University study, the findings of which are published in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine, 47 per cent of men who kept their phone within 20 inches of their groin had a much lower sperm quality than those who kept their phone elsewhere.
The takeaway?
According to lead researcher Professor Martha Dirnfeld: ‘The [sperm] levels were down to a number that would make conception difficult. If you are trying for a baby and it doesn’t happen within a year you might want to think of whether it could be your mobile phone habit that is to blame.’
