Young men who regularly use their smartphones show a decrease in sperm concentration and total sperm count.
- A 21% reduction in sperm concentration was observed in men who used their phones more than 20 times a day.
- This association between smartphone exposure and reduced sperm quality was less strong when switching from 3G to 4G, which led to a reduction in the transmitting power of the devices.
- Placing your phone in your pants pocket was not linked to poor sperm quality.
Different environmental and lifestyle factors could be responsible for the decline in sperm quality observed over the last fifty years, according to several studies. In recent work, researchers from the University of Geneva (Switzerland) examined the link between cell phone exposure and sperm concentration, total number, motility and morphology. To carry out their research, they recruited 2,886 Swiss men aged 18 to 22. The latter had to complete a questionnaire on their lifestyle habits, their general health and more particularly the frequency with which they used their phone, as well as where they placed it when they were not using it. Participants also provided a semen sample.
Using your phone more than 20 times a day reduces sperm concentration
The results, published in the journal Fertility & Sterility, showed an association between frequent use and lower sperm concentration. In detail, the sperm concentration was significantly higher in men who did not use their phone more than once a week compared to adults who used it more than 20 times a day. This difference corresponds to a 21% decrease in sperm concentration for frequent users compared to rare users. In contrast, the scientists found no association between smartphone use and low motility or sperm morphology.
“This link was found to be more pronounced during the first study period (2005-2007) and gradually decreased over time (2008-2011 and 2012-2018),” can we read in the works. According to the team, this trend corresponds to the transition from 2G to 3G, then from 3G to 4G, which led to a reduction in the transmitting power of phones.
Assessing the impact of microwaves emitted by phones on male reproductive health
The study also seemed to show that the position of the phone, for example in a pants pocket, was not associated with poor sperm quality. “However, the number of people in this cohort reporting that they did not keep their phone close to their body was too low to draw a really strong conclusion on this specific point,” said Rita Rahban, lead author of the research, in a statement.
Now, scientists plan to carry out another study to better describe the mechanism of action behind these observations. “Do microwaves emitted by cell phones have a direct or indirect effect? Do they cause a significant increase in temperature in the testicles? Do they affect the hormonal regulation of sperm production? All of this remains to be discovered”, they concluded.
