Excessive mobile phone use may negatively impact male fertility, as indicated by a recent study. The World Health Organization reports that male infertility contributes to half of infertility cases in couples, with semen quality being a crucial factor determined by total sperm count, sperm concentration, sperm morphology, and sperm motility.
The study findings, as reported in the journal Fertility and Sterility, indicate that individuals who utilize their mobile devices over 20 times daily face a 21% elevated likelihood of experiencing a diminished sperm count and a 30% increased chance of a reduced sperm concentration. Nevertheless, it is important to note that enhanced phone usage does not seem to affect sperm motility or morphology.
Research indicates that semen quality has declined due to environmental factors like pesticides, endocrine disruptors, radiation, and lifestyle choices, including diet, stress, alcohol, and smoking. In the past five decades, the average sperm count has decreased from 99 million to 47 million sperm per milliliter.
First study author Rita Rahban said that previous studies on the correlation between mobile phone use and sperm quality were limited by small sample sizes, insufficient consideration of lifestyle factors, and potential selection bias due to recruitment from fertility clinics, resulting in inconclusive findings.
Conducted by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), the study investigated the semen quality of 2,886 men aged 18 to 22 recruited from military conscription centers between 2005 and 2018. The participants completed a questionnaire to assess their mobile phone usage habits and storage practices.
The data showed a link between frequent mobile phone use and reduced sperm concentration. Median sperm concentration was significantly higher in men who used their phone once a week (56.5 million/mL) compared to those who used it more than 20 times a day (44.5 million/mL), indicating a 21% decrease in sperm concentration for frequent users.
According to the study there were no connections between mobile phone use and sperm quality, including sperm motility and morphology.