Secure with your mobile?
Pop quiz: What’s one thing you can’t leave home without?
I don’t think I need to scan the web for poll answers to see that a lot of people can’t leave their home without their cell phones. I belong to this group. After all, it’s my only connection to my family, friends and work wherever I may be. I did wonder some years ago whether the amount my mobile phone usage can adversely affect my fertility. However, what I stumbled upon are studies on male fertility.
- Investigators found a decrease in sperm motility in semen samples of men exposed to 900 MHz cell phone for 5 min (Erogul et al., 2006).
- In a similar pilot study, direct exposure of human semen samples to cellular phone radiation (in talking mode) decreased sperm motility and viability (Agarwal et al., 2008).
- Keeping cell phones close to waist has been found to decrease sperm concentration as compared to men not using cell phones at all or storing it elsewhere (Kilgallon and Simmons, 2005).
It makes sense after all that men have reasons to be concerned with their “future.” Cell phones emit radiofrequency radiation (RFR). The higher the frequency, the higher the energy, and the hotter it gets. So this leads to an increase in tissue or body temperature, leading to reversible disruption of spermatogenesis or the formation of sperms.
The truth is, though, the mechanism of action of electromagnetic wave (EMW) on spermatogenesis is unclear. It is also thought that in addition to increasing the tissue or body temperature, EMW may also cause damage by a “microwave” effect or thermal molecular effects.
To be continued.
This post is tagged Agarwal, cell phones, male infertility, mobile phones
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