How keeping your phone in pocket or laptop on lap could be hurting your fertility; Study finds red flags for male sperm health

A new study from Calcutta University (CU) and the Institute of Reproductive Medicine has found that keeping mobile phones in trouser pockets and using laptops on the lap for long hours may increase the risk of male infertility, and even impotence.

According to a Times of India (TOI) report, the research challenges earlier claims that dismissed links between electromagnetic radiation from gadgets and reduced sperm counts.

What did the study find?

Researchers analysed sperm samples from 1,200 men aged between 20 and 40. The team studied their lifestyle, diet, workplace risks, and any addictions.


CU associate professor of zoology Sujay Ghosh, who led the study, told TOI, “Data showed that several of them store mobile phones in their trouser pockets for over five hours or work for hours with laptops placed on their laps.”

Among the participants, 708 had azoospermia (absence of sperm), while 640 had a healthy sperm count.

Who is most at risk?

The study showed a strong link between exposure to radiation from gadgets and infertility, especially in men under 30 who have certain genetic mutations.

“The results indicated that those who silently carry certain genetic mutations face infertility risk factors at least 10 times higher than those who don’t,” Ghosh said.

Why this matters

This goes against several earlier global studies that found no strong evidence connecting phone radiation to infertility. For example, a recent paper from the University of Utah in the US stated that “sperm counts can change hour to hour, day to day, and month to month.”

But the Indian study highlights how genetics and daily gadget use may be a dangerous combination.

Inputs from TOI