Frequent Mobile Phone Usage Linked to Lower Sperm Counts, According to New Study

Men using their phones 20 or more times a day found to have a 21% higher risk of low sperm count; new study accounts for lifestyle factors but urges more research to address global fertility crisis.

Swiss scientists at the University of Geneva and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute recruited 2,886 men aged between 18 and 22 and analyzed data to understand the impact of mobile phone use on sperm count, a critical measure of fertility.
Men who used their phones more than 20 times a day had significantly lower sperm counts and sperm concentrations—approximately a fifth lower—than men who only used their phones once a week.
Frequent mobile phone users had a 21% higher risk of having a sperm count that fell below the World Health Organization’s reference values for fertile men compared to those who rarely used their phones.
Note that the impact of the location where phones are kept when not in use—such as trouser pockets or belt carriers—does not affect sperm concentration or sperm count.
The study observes a decreasing association between phone usage and sperm count over time, corresponding to transition from 2G to 3G networks and from 3G to 4G networks. Scientists explain this might be related to modern networks using less power to transmit signals, reducing the potential heat influence on sperm quality.