Smartphone causes low sperm counts

Men advised to keep their phones away from their genitals, as the electromagnetic fields are found to decrease sperm quality.

Pockets are useful things for keeping all your property in and toting around a man bag still isn't     the norm for blokes in the UK.

But if you keep your phone in your trouser pocket, you may want to have a rethink, because it could be zapping your sperm and reducing your fertility.

A new study at the University of Exeter found that the electronic field surrounding smartphones reduces sperm mobility by eight per cent and viability by nine per cent.

Modern mobiles emit low-level electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and looking at the records of 10 previous studies into fertility and mobile phone interaction, it seems our right hand gadgets could be behind the significantly rising levels of male infertility.

One suggestion for this decreased sperm activity is that the EMR raises the temperature of the skin by up to 2.3°C, and as male sperm is stored in the testes to keep it at a cooler temperature, this tiny increase in heat may be harmful enough to do serious damage.

How much damage isn't yet clear. It all depends on how long men keep phones in their pockets, which pocket and how strong the EMR is for their phone model.

What guys can take away from this is to keep their phone out of their pocket as much as possible - keep it away from the body if you're able to at home or work.

It's easier said than done but low-quality sperm is a serious problem even if your baby plans are a LONG way off!