Last updated April 12, 2019
A Canadian study citing used cell phones as a contributing factor to infertility in men has been backed up by an infertility specialist in India. The study, which was conducted by Queens University in Canada, suggested that low sperm count and quality in men who spent a great deal of time on their cell phones was common, and that the electromagnetic waves being emitted by them might well be harming the sperm even when the cell phone was switched off.
“While cell phone use appears to increase the level of testosterone circulating in the body, it may also lead to low sperm quality in terms of mobility and concentration, thereby decreasing the chances of fertility,” the study concluded.
Now the study’s findings are being backed up by an Indian specialist. The director of and fertility consultant at Isis Fertility Clinic, which is situated in South Delhi in India, Shivani Sachdev Gour, says that a growing number of men in the couples who visit her clinic every month are the ones who have the fertility problem. “Most of the time the reason for this is unknown”, she admits. “Several postulated reasons related to male infertility were environmental toxins. Further research is required on cell phones being one of the factors because it is a day to day activity with quite alarming implications.”
The UK government has already given advisories to the British public telling them to use text messages or hands free devices to try to ward off the potential health dangers of using cell phones.