(REUTERS) — Certain lifestyle factors are linked to higher rates of damage in the genetic material in men’s sperm, a study suggests.
The damage - which may stem from factors like obesity, stress and even cell phone use - could affect men's ability to conceive as well as the genes passed to their children, researchers say.
Semen analysis usually looks at the numbers and the condition of whole sperm. But the authors of a small study in Poland believe the degree of breakage, or fragmentation, in DNA strands in the sperm might be a better indicator of fertility. DNA carries the cell's genetic information and hereditary characteristics.