November 15, 2009 | Health Matters

House chores equal low sperm count

Well, it is certainly a good day for straight men and would-be fathers. It seems that doing household chores - anything from using a vacuum cleaner to turning on a microwave - can have a negative effect on sperm count.

Stanford University fertility expert Dr De-Kun Li exposed a group of male volunteers to electromagnetic fields produced by common household items and discovered the exposure doubled the risk of poor-quality sperm.

Dr Li's conclusion: "I would advise men and couples trying for a baby to reduce their exposure to electromagnetic fields as much as possible. I’m not saying you shouldn’t use a microwave but it makes sense to turn it on, then move away and go back when it is done. Keep devices, especially those with electric motors, away from the body."

The bad news? Scrubbing a toilet is still considered safe.

Sorry darling, I can't do the vacuuming. It might damage my sperm count [Mail Online]