Sorry Darling, I Can't Do the Vacuuming. It Might Damage My Sperm Count; the Best Excuse Yet for Men Not to Do the Housework

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Byline: Nic Fleming

IT'S the get-out clause workshy husbands have been praying for for years.

A study has found that household chores - including using a vacuum cleaner or microwave oven - could reduce a man's chances of having children. Researchers exposed male volunteers to electromagnetic fields - high doses of which are produced by all electrically charged objects, including refrigerators and vacuum cleaners - and found such exposure could double the risk of having poor-quality sperm.

Fertility expert Dr De-Kun Li said his work provides the first evidence of a link between electrical goods and declining male fertility.

Dr Li, of Stanford …