YNOT – Pornography reflects fantasy: Humans find excitement in watching others do something they might never have the nerve to do themselves. Whether the personal taboo is dangerous, socially unacceptable or simply out of reach for other, less threatening reasons doesn’t matter. That the fantasy is something they’ll probably never experience in person is the important thing.Maybe that’s why many women have said the most arousing porn, from their perspective, would be a video of a man doing housework. The phenomenon is rare on the hunter-gatherer side of the human equation.

Turns out there may be a hidden biological reason for men’s avoidance of domestic chores — ones that require powered equipment like vacuum cleaners and refrigerators, anyway. Fledgling scientific research has uncovered a negative relationship between electromagnetic fields and the ability to perpetuate the species. Now men have something stronger than the old fall-back position of “it’s woman’s work” upon which to rely in order to escape domestic drudgery.

Stanford University fertility researcher Dr. De-Kun Li recruited 148 volunteers at a sperm bank in Shanghai, then exposed the men to the sorts of intense electromagnetic fields produced by common household appliances: refrigerators, microwaves, vacuum cleaners and the like. The study excluded subjects whose jobs or hobbies exposed them to high temperatures or chemicals.

Li and his team discovered exposure to electromagnetic fields doubled a man’s chances of producing low-quality sperm. The risk increased with longer exposure and contact with stronger fields, making any appliance with a motor suspicious — including hairdryers and electric razors. (So men who anticipate relying on the electronic-device excuse for avoiding chores will need to give up some conveniences, as well.)

“I would advise men and couples trying for a baby to reduce their exposure to electromagnetic fields as much as possible,” Li told London’s Daily Mail. “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.”

Li’s research is believed to be the first to imply household appliances are enemies of men’s fertility. Previous fertility studies have linked alcohol consumption, smoking, dietary factors, drug use and obesity with reduced sperm production and quality.

“This is the first study to show a link between measured electromagnetic fields and poor semen quality in humans, which may provide a logical explanation for why we have seen reductions in sperm quality in men over the past century,” Li noted.

Other scientists have taken note. One even went so far as to suggest warning labels might be a good idea.

“I believe there might be something in it,” British Fertility Society member Dr. Allan Pacey, who engages in fertility research at Sheffield University, told the Daily Mail. “If these results are repeated in a bigger study, we need to start thinking seriously about promoting advice about avoiding exposure.”

The study’s results are expected to be published in January’s edition of the journal Reproductive Toxicology.