Study Finds a Link Between High Cellphone Use and Decline in Semen Quality

Does cell phone use affect semen quality?

According to a systematic review and meta-analysis, there has been a significant drop in sperm counts over the past 50 years.

Researchers have yet to fully comprehend the reasons for the decline in semen quality, but new evidence suggests that cell phones might be a possible factor.

Rising evidence points towards the effect of mobile phones on semen health. A recent study, published in Fertility and Sterility, reveals that frequent mobile phone usage is associated with lower sperm concentration and overall sperm count.

The study is based on the data from 2,886 Swiss men aged between 18 to 22, collected from 2005 to 2018. The research looked into the relationship between semen parameters of the participants and their mobile phone usage.

Results showed a 21% reduction in sperm concentration among men who used their phones more than 20 times a day compared to men who seldom used a mobile device.

Study author, Rita Rahban, PhD, suggests that this trend aligns with the transition from 2G to 3G, and then 3G to 4G. This transition reduced the transmitting power of phones.

Rahban elaborated that 4G is more data transmission-efficient than 2G, which could cut down usage (exposure time).

Though the study highlighted the potential impact of mobile phone usage on semen quality, it did not specify how the participants used their phones.

More research is necessary to uncover the connection between mobile phone usage and its influence on semen health.

As per Stanton Honig, MD, director of Men's Health and Urology at Yale School of Medicine, current scientific evidence is insufficient to confirm or deny the theory that cell phone use affects semen quality.

While the study presented a decline in sperm count at the population level, it did not establish a cause-effect relationship or correlate with a decrease in chances of impregnating a partner.

Here's a look at how mobile phone usage might be affecting sperm count and semen quality and what men can do to counter these potential adverse effects.

Neel Parekh, MD, a specialist in male infertility and men's health at Cleveland Clinic, mentions a few potential mechanisms including electromagnetic radiation, heat, and psychological stress.

Parekh elucidated that cell phones radiate RF waves—prolonged and frequent exposure to RF radiation could negatively affect sperm quality.

Overexposure to social media is another factor to consider, as it can lead to stress which could have a detrimental effect on reproductive health, including semen quality.

However, the new study did not find any correlation between cell phone usage and motility and morphology.

Certain studies suggest cell phones may negatively impact semen quality by increasing oxidative stress and reducing sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and viability.

The FCC has set specific absorption rate (SAR) limits for all cellular devices in the United States, but these guidelines do not necessarily consider the duration that a mobile device is kept in a particular position.

Larger studies on the effects of heat, EMF, and Wi-Fi produced by mobile devices are needed, Wosnitzer concluded.

More details on the kind of mobile phone use that impacts sperm count and semen quality—including whether calls or texts were made, usage of 4G vs 2G, and phone location—are still required.

Wosnitzer concluded that location and duration, as with any exposure, likely influences the potential effects of cell phones on the testicles responsible for sperm and the majority of testosterone production in the body.

He explained that calling versus texting, and 4G versus 5G, have not been well-studied, but you can assume that more data transferred over longer periods allows for a greater potential for heat and EMW exposure.

The new study didn’t show any association with where the phone was kept (like in the front or back pocket). Instead, using a cell phone more than 20 times per day correlated with a 30% increased risk of having a sperm count below the WHO reference value for fertile men, Parekh explained.

He added that the study noted a more pronounced association between cell phone use and sperm concentration at the beginning of the study compared to later dates.

“The authors believe this may correspond to the movement from 2G to 3G and 4G,” he said. “4G phones require significantly less power output and ultimately lower RF radiation.”