Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have found that the use of a mobile phone with a hands-free device may harm your fertility if the mobile phone is kept close to your testicles.
It’s common for men to keep their mobile phones in their pants pocket while using hands-free devices to talk.
This exposes your testicles to radiofrequency electromagnetic waves, which are harmful. The common use of bluetooth devices is also of concern.
How radiation from mobile phones affects your fertility
Researchers studied semen samples collected from 32 men. They divided each man’s sample into two.
Half of the semen samples were placed 2.5 centimetres away from a mobile phone with 850 MHz frequency radiation in talk mode for an hour. This frequency is chosen based on the normal range of radiation emitted from common mobile phones, which ranges from 850 to 900 MHz.
The 2.5 centimetre distance reflects the distance between your testicles and your mobile phone inside your pants pocket.
A previous study by this same group has already established the link between mobile phone radiofrequency electromagnetic waves and impaired sperm quality. This new study explains the reasons for it.
Exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic waves results in higher levels of damaging free radicals, lower sperm motility and viability. Oxidative stress is another concern.
The differences in DNA damage between the exposed and unexposed samples are insignificant, too.
Further research is necessary to confirm the findings and determine if the negative effects occur at a longer distance, and if phones on silent or standby modes can emit the same harmful radiation.
What you can do to protect your fertility
It’s advisable to keep your mobile phone as far from your testicles as possible. Experts believe men who talk for three to four hours a day with their mobile phones in their pockets are at a high risk of infertility.
Mobile phones are not the only devices that should be kept away from your testicles. The heat produced by laptop batteries is also alarming. Also, be aware of the possible damage caused by jacuzzis, hot tub baths, toxins, and fumes.
Sperm damage caused by oxidative stress may be reversed with antioxidants such as vitamins C and E. If you are facing fertility problems it is recommended to take antioxidants even if there are no signs of abnormalities in your sperm.
As fascinating as they are, it is important to properly interpret these findings. The body of scientific evidence currently available is not sufficient to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between wireless usage and adverse health effects.
Scientists are continuing to study this issue.
The Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.