Warning: using cell phones near testicles could endanger sperm

Extensive use of cell phones could jeopardize male fertility, according to a study of 364 men. In a paper to be presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in New Orleans, a team of doctors found that men who talked on their phones more than 4 hours a day had significantly fewer live sperm/ml than those who talked less. There seemed to be a *dose-dependent effect (ie those who talked least had best sperm, medium had medium sperm and blabber mouths had worst), though the overall trend wasn't significant. Almost all men, regardless of cell-time, had sperm counts above the 20 million/ml mark, which is the low mark for normal fertility.

Sperm quality is affected by a number of factors, the best known being heat. Hot balls = bad sperm. That is why extensive use of laptops actually ON LAPS has been linked to poorer sperm quality. But see, you don't use a cell phone anywhere near the sensitive area in question...so what's the mechanism? The radiation/heat does travel, but you wouldn't think it could make it down there with enough intensity to DO anything. Maybe the proximity of the storage location - pockets etc - has something to do with it. Whatever.

*when dealing with these sometimes laughable correlation studies one must be careful. In this instance couldn't it be that men who talk on their cell phones that long often have weird high pressure jobs, travel a lot or some other thing in common that affects sperm quality? We don't know, because this is just a correlation. Showing a dose-dependent affect - ie the more of X results in more/less of Y - can really bolster the claim. It's still not causation, it's still not a controlled study, but it's more than just correlation. Of course in this case the pattern was not significant.

Comments

[sara]

Who's the hunk in the picture? And from what century is that phone?

[mr. orange]

hot balls = bad sperm

well said, sistah, well said

The real question is, do cold balls = good sperm? Where's my NIH funded study on THAT?

[MT]

If most people use their cell phones while driving, maybe the cramped, prolonged and plush sitting is doing the cooking and not the microwaves. Drivers and a lot of other people now BTW are talking on headsets and keeping the mobile handset in a belt holster, pant pocket or directly in front of the stick.

[donna]

Whatever. If these asshats who are always on their phones breed less, it's good with me.

I HATE people who are always on their damn cell phone.

[Anna]

I think asshat is my favourite word ever.

[Jonathan]

I guess talking through one's ass would mean the phone is nearer one's balls...no?

[Bai]

Women supposedly talk a lot on the phone.

May be it's men who don't have much sperm to start with, who talk a lot on the phone!! May be we've got the cause and effect reversed.