Men who keep mobile phones in their trousers may be putting their fertility at risk, researchers warn today.
Researchers from Exeter University, UK, found that men could lose up to a sixth of their fertility from careless carrying of phones.
The impact is likely to be small on most men – but the researchers say it could affect men "on the borderline" of infertility.
Researchers led by Dr Fiona Mathews analysed ten pieces of research including some 1,492 samples to reach their conclusion, published in Environment International.
She said that laboratory studies and those conducted on live men showed similar results.
Dr Mathews said: "Given the enormous scale of mobile phone use around the world, the potential role of this environmental exposure needs to be clarified. This study strongly suggests that being exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from carrying mobiles in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality.
"This could be particularly important for men already on the borderline of infertility, and further research is required to determine the full clinical implications for the general population."
Fiona Mathews et al. Effect of mobile telephones on sperm quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environment International 10 June 2014
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