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Good god; where do they hold the phone.

- James, stevenage england

I want to know the effect of having in your pocket all day long. I can't imagine this is good either.

- Question, N/A

As Dr. Pacey points out, there is no method suggested to cause the damage. Until you have that, all you can say about this study is that it is interesting.

- Sam, Dallas, USA

Has it occurred to anybody that it's possible that the drop in sperm count isn't due to the heat or electromagnetic radiation from Cell Phone s, but rather the stress of being on the phone 4 hours a day? Men who use Cell Phone s frequently also would seem to have more stress in their lives - I know I feel stressed after being on the phone a lot. I could be wrong, but I hope that they are at least examining the possibility that Cell Phone usage is often paired with stressful lives, meaning that the cause of the infertility might not the phones themselves but rather the stress that comes along with constantly using the phones. Just a thought.

- John, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

The study is flawed. As pointed out by Dr. Pacey, the study does not take into account the fact that people who use cell phones more often might have lifestyles which are in fact the culprit for lowering sperm counts.

- Jim, Raleigh, NC

I suspected something was wrong with cell phones all along. It's like holding a minature microwave close to your head. A known friend recently died of a brain tumor located on the side of his head. He used his cell phone on that side all the time.

- Kevin, Ohio, USA

Who would want a father that spends 4 hours on the phone anyways...?

- Mat, Montreal, Quebec

What else do they use more? Laptop computers with excess heat to the inguinal area, etc,etc. Reminds me of the scare about coffee, chocolate, etc., which are now considered beneficial!

- John C. Alden, Berkeley, CA, USA

This is a terrible study. How can holding a phone near your head lower sperm count? This just another phony study trying to link cell phones with something bad.

- Mike, Chicago

By giving a 1/2 watt radio transceiver a benign label such as 'mobile phone' people are fooled into believing there is nothing wrong with the device. Most people recognize the danger of putting their head in the same microwave oven they use to pop popcorn but do not realize the same frequency, at a lower power, is used by the cellular transceiver. When one puts a 1/2 watt of transmitting power beside their head for four hours or more there is bound to be some kind of damage. Just like popping popcorn.

- Bender B. Rodríguez, NYC, USA

I can see it now, Nokia and Trojans teaming up to make the best birth control known to man.

- Mike Burton, Sioux city, USA

The headline from Drudge was a little sensational. More studies are needed to confirm these findings, but I will probably avoid carrying my cell on my belt whenever possible to make sure my boys can still swim when the time comes.

- Jon Vp, Lombard, IL

Scientists should be able to tell whether it is the electomagnetic radiation or the sedimentary lives of the Cell Phone users by studying the resonant frequencies of the molecules that make up the sperm and the testes cells and comparing them with the frequencies used in the cell phones.

- On D Ball, Latrhup Village, MI USA

I think the remote locking keys that come with most cars should be studied. They all have batteries and they are carried in front pockets, close to the groin. There could be an electrical field, though very slight.

- Kim Conroy, Commerce MI

Interesting last quote about lifestyle, rather than phone, possibly causing the prob. Not that I agree/disagree... just funny how the sensational-part made the rest of the story...

- Kurt, Dallas, TX

Hmmm... sure is a long way from the ear to the testicles. Not convinced; there must be other factors.

- Cautious, Ellicott City, MD

Someone please tell this to my husband! He regularly uses a mobile but it seems like I end up pregnant just by holding his hand! What a load of drivel. Stop looking for scapegoats and start looking at the real possible causes such as food additives , chemical fertilisers, hormones given to animals, emissions etc. The truth may hurt business profits but it's no reason to overlook it.

- Mandy, Sheffield

Men often carry the phone on their belts. When not in use the phone constantly sends control signals to the nearest antenna. Perhaps the study should have noted if these men also carried the phone on their belts to see if this correlated too? There have been plenty of other studies showing damage from the radiaiton such as the Lai and SInsgh DNA damage in rats.
A lot of people will not want to hear this news as they 'need' their mobile phones.

- Sue, London

Cell phones are the scourge of the 90's-00's. They are used excessively and those who drive with them are risking life and limb (not to mention the radiation factor). I am SHOCKED when I see pre-teen children with cell phones. What are the parents thinking? Ban Cell phones all together.

- James Virginia, Maryland USA

If the phones can do this. What about the people who live under those cell phone towers?

- Patrick, Melbourne, Fl. USA

Ban cell phones all together James? Calm down man. I don't think the result of this study or any study about the use of cell phones would ever cause them to be banned.

- Kevin, WV, USA

It is known that high fertility is an animal's response to stress, to increase the chance of special survival. If these researchers knew anything about fertility, they would understand that cell phone users are less stressed because they can resolve problems immediately.

- Walter E. Wallis, Palo Alto, CA, USA

The risks of microwave radiation are already established. This is nothing new. Radar has been in use for many years, and the dangers were known long ago. No one ever dreamed that people would one day hold little microwave transmitters next to their heads on purpose.

Testicular atrophy is only the tip of the iceberg.

- Carl Mayo, Belle Chasse, Louisiana, USA

How about all the men that point 1800 watt blow-dryers at their heads every morning? You don't hear much about that? Cellphones emit less than a watt of energy.

- Anonymous, Maryville, TN USA

This study is flawed. The sample group was derived from men that had visited fertility clinics. Go to the mall and pick out teenage males with cell phones permanently affixed to the ear then get back to us.

- Skeptical, USA

From what I understand, the wattage increases when a signal is received (whether for an incoming call, text message, or when your cell phone updates information with a tower). How many of those men in the study had the cell phone in their pocket, inches from their testicles, when this occurred?

Even worse, with the use of bluetooth and other handsfree technologies, how often are users carrying it with them around other vital organs instead of their head? At least scientists are fairly sure the tumors that show up in the head thus far are benign.

- Michael Wilson, Columbia, MD USA

I am a level 3 Cellular Handset Technician and have been for 6 years. Prior to that, I was an HF/VHF Radio Operator in the 101st Airborne for 6 years. This report seems like hype, but I'd have to agree with Carl Mayo, this isn't anything new, and the facts have been out for years. Everything in moderation. I say there are more harmful things like chemicals in processed foods, soda, and prescription meds that affect the body much worse.

- Brad Lee Boyer, Nashville, TN

I thought these things were supposed to be safe, or is this more lies from the industry?

- Ryk, London

When tens of millions use cellphones, a study with 360 people is statistically insignificant.

- Gabor, Hyden, USA

So sperm counts can be affected by mobile phone signals... so therefore all that stuff about mobile phones (and probably masts) not being able to affect health is a load of PR driven lies designed to keep us buying dangerous products. Sounds like the tobacco industry all over again.

- Simon Densley, London, UK