Israeli Study: Your Cell Phone is Killing Your Sperm

Over the years, science has thoroughly documented the global decline in male fertility, which has been ongoing since the 1940’s. Several possible culprits have been blamed such exposure to pesticides, estrogen mimicking chemicals, and sedentary lifestyles. However, a team of Israeli scientists has found another possible environmental cause.

Researchers at Haifa’s Technion- Israel Institute of Technology and Carmel Medical Center, conducted a study involving 106 men who were given a semen analysis. They have found that men who wear their cell phones in their pants pockets, have significantly higher rates of abnormal sperm. 47% of men who stored their cell phones in their pants had abnormal sperm, compared to just 11% for the average male.

But keeping a cell phone near the groin wasn’t the only contributing factor to poor fertility. Both talking on the phone for more than an hour a day and using it while it was charging, was also linked to abnormal sperm counts.

The researchers admitted that their sample size was too small to draw any definite conclusions, but believed that the evidence was compelling enough to warrant a larger study. They recommended that men limit their cell phone usage (especially while it’s charging), avoid sleeping near the phone, and storing it away from the groin.