title: The semen quality of the mobile phone users.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increased use of mobile phones, the media's attention for general health, and the increase of idiopathic male infertility suggest to investigate the possible consequences of an excessive use of mobile phones on semen quality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the conventional and some of the main biofunctional sperm parameters in healthy men according to the different use of the mobile phone.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the enrolled subjects in this study were divided into four groups according to their active cell phone use: group A= no use (no.=10 subjects); group B= <2 h/day (no.=16); group C= 2-4 h/day (no.=17); and group D= >4 h/day (no.=20). Among the subjects of the group D (>4 h/day), a further evaluation was made between the "trousers users"(no.=12) and "shirt users"(no.=8), and they underwent semen collection to evaluate conventional and biofunctional sperm parameters (density, total count, morphology, progressive motility, apoptosis, mithocondrial membrane potential, chromatin compaction, DNA fragmentation).
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the conventional sperm parameters examined were significantly altered. However, the group D and the trousers users showed a higher percentage of sperm DNA fragmentation compared to other groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the sperm DNA fragmentation could represent the only parameter significantly altered in the subjects who use the mobile phone for more than 4 h/day and in particular for those who use the device in the pocket of the trousers.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Andrology and Pathophysiology of Reproduction, S.M. Goretti Hospital, Latina, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rago
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salacone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caponecchia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sebastianelli
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marcucci
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Calogero
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Condorelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vicari
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morgia
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Favilla
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cimino
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Arcoria
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: La Vignera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D040421:Cell Phone; D003020:Clothing / Q000009:adverse effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D055101:Semen Analysis