4 ms·

Higher cell phone usage associated with lower sperm count in new study

18 points by sahin 3y ago

theGeatZhopa 3y ago
I think it's a correlation/ causation error. Classic! It's not lower sperm count because one use a cell phone more than not. It's high use of cell phone BECAUSE of the lower sperm count. As I reconcile, we Didn't have cell phones in my youth - so we have to get everything up the pole to get around the boringness. Haha. Now I have a cell phone. Sad.
- marstall 3y ago
  or - something as simple as people with higher sperm count don't like to talk on the phone so much. too busy getting laid perhaps.
  - otteromkram 3y ago
    If they got laid a lot, wouldn't they have a lower sperm count?
    - hulitu 3y ago
      Depends how you count it. /s
- _Microft 3y ago
  The article contains a quote from the scientists saying exactly that there does not need to be a causal relationship.
- m463 3y ago
  "When I was a kid we were so poor, if I hadn't been a boy I wouldn't have had anything to play with." - Rodney Dangerfield
ThrowawayR2 3y ago
If there were any significant causal relationship, then the people who work in above average RF environments, like cell phone / cellular equipment product engineering, wi-fi equipment engineering , etc. would show noticeable effects. Maybe that's an avenue for further research but there don't seem to be any anecdotal reports of of it occurring.
unsupp0rted 3y ago
> The researchers found that men who used their phones more than 20 times per day had a median sperm count of 44.5 million/mL. This was 21% lower than in men who only used their phones once a week They admit in the article that "used their phones" is ambiguous. On WiFi for 15 minutes to look at cat pictures? Next to their ear for 2 hours to voice call their partner?
- doublerabbit 3y ago
  Probably porn consumption.
BariumBlue 3y ago
My 2c is correlation with exercise. I'd expect that the study would control for a known factor like exercise, but I would imagine those who perceive themselves as being less on the phone would value and participate in more active activities.

18 points by sahin 3y ago

I think it's a correlation/ causation error. Classic! It's not lower sperm count because one use a cell phone more than not. It's high use of cell phone BECAUSE of the lower sperm count. As I reconcile, we Didn't have cell phones in my youth - so we have to get everything up the pole to get around the boringness. Haha. Now I have a cell phone. Sad.

marstall 3y ago
or - something as simple as people with higher sperm count don't like to talk on the phone so much. too busy getting laid perhaps.
- otteromkram 3y ago
  If they got laid a lot, wouldn't they have a lower sperm count?
  - hulitu 3y ago
    Depends how you count it. /s
_Microft 3y ago
The article contains a quote from the scientists saying exactly that there does not need to be a causal relationship.
m463 3y ago
"When I was a kid we were so poor, if I hadn't been a boy I wouldn't have had anything to play with." - Rodney Dangerfield

ThrowawayR2 3y ago

If there were any significant causal relationship, then the people who work in above average RF environments, like cell phone / cellular equipment product engineering, wi-fi equipment engineering , etc. would show noticeable effects. Maybe that's an avenue for further research but there don't seem to be any anecdotal reports of of it occurring.

unsupp0rted 3y ago

> The researchers found that men who used their phones more than 20 times per day had a median sperm count of 44.5 million/mL. This was 21% lower than in men who only used their phones once a week They admit in the article that "used their phones" is ambiguous. On WiFi for 15 minutes to look at cat pictures? Next to their ear for 2 hours to voice call their partner?

doublerabbit 3y ago
Probably porn consumption.

BariumBlue 3y ago

My 2c is correlation with exercise. I'd expect that the study would control for a known factor like exercise, but I would imagine those who perceive themselves as being less on the phone would value and participate in more active activities.