The other day, I was sitting in my GYN’s office giving an update before my annual exam. The conversation led to “normal” things in our environment that can unknowingly compromise our health.”Like electromagnetic radiation from computers or cell phones,” my doctor said. “For example, did you know that if a man carries a cell phone in his pocket, it can reduce his sperm count by 30 percent?”

I was dumbstruck by this factoid, and honestly stopped listening after that. When I got home, I started looking at the research, and sure enough, there is some documented evidence on this. The Cleveland Infertility Clinic did a study of 361 men who were seen for fertility issues. Their studies showed that there was a relationship between cell phone use and a decrease in sperm quality and count. The highest risk seems to be for those men who use cell phones for more than 4 hours a day. And putting cell phones near the body, say in your pocket, makes your body more susceptible to the radiation that can also harm sperm.

So why take a chance? If your husband is in the habit of carrying his cell phone in his pocket, either lead line his pockets, or talk about some alternatives. Sometimes the little choices can make all the difference.

Marina