Cell Phone Use Associated with Decline in Fertility

Are mobile phone users at risk of male fertility and erectile dysfunction?

In an observational study, researchers from Cleveland, Mumbai, and New Orleans found that the number of hours in a day that a man uses his cell phone can affect all aspects of his sperm profile.

Three hundred and sixty-four men undergoing evaluation for infertility were classified into three groups according to their sperm count. Among the men in the group with a normal sperm count, those who did not use a cell phone at all had sperm counts averaging 86 million per milliliter, with 68% motility, and 40% normal forms. Among men in the normal count group who used a cell phone more than four hours a day, the averages were significantly lower: 66 million sperm per milliliter, 48% motility, and 21% normal forms.

The effect of cell phones on sperm parameters may be due to the electromagnetic radiation the devices emit or to the heat they generate. The researchers note that further studies will be necessary to identify the mechanism involved in the reduction of sperm quality due to cell phones. P-398 Agarwal et al, Relationship between cell phone use and human fertility: an observational study