Actually early microwaves did actually come with a warning in the instruction manual that they should not be operated whilst standing directly in front. Overly cautious perhaps, but in the 1950's the government in the U.S. Had adverts on tv trumpeting the benefits of drinking "radioactive water". Smoking was once thought to clear the lungs and there are photos of riders in the Tour de France sharing a cigarette, passing it between bikes, before a hill climb. All science and technology changes, so perhaps she was just reiterating the old instructions on the early microwaves?

It's true. It causes cancer from the radiation waves

It does give you cancer because there are a lot of radiations. but i'm not sure about the sperm thing tho.

We don't even own a microwave for those reasons

Well for all you people bashing op and saying that microwaves are completely safe here is some informational reading proving otherwise if any of you are intellectually adept enough to actually lookup information on topics you read about and don't have a concrete answer. The time many of you spent on arguing could have been solved with a few seconds on google. Heres the info id your interested in some intellectual stimulation. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080111041017AAhaXfl

The first microwaves actually did leak radiation from what I've heard (could easily be wrong tho, since I learned it from a not particularly bright teacher), but the technology has advanced so much that they are completely safe!

OP you make me laugh to the point of throwing up in disgust, nice way to talk about your mother. Obviously she wants whats best for you. Sincerely Greenmarsh P.S. Go **** yourself you ungrateful rude piece of shit, show some respect. Don't dehumanise and put down your mother in order to get your FML accepted especially behind her back to strangers you will never meet or even see. bet your father wouldn't find it funny, and if he does i know where you got the idea from. also are you living at home? cause if your 18 or older you really should be out of there and if your younger than that, (haha this is a good and true comment) you don't know enough about things to be talking about your mother like that you ungrateful little bastard. P.P.S Nice name, just adding to the insult which your mother does not deserve good job.

It still says so in manuals. She's correct.

its a myth....google it

I've heard that plenty of times from my mother. What was disturbing was another time my seventh grade culinary teacher said "Don't stand so close to the microwave, you'll damage your reproductive organs!" at school.