A recent meta-study conducted at the University of Exeter in the UK suggests that radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) emitted from cell phones kept in the pockets of men could be a major factor in the modern world’s fast-dropping sperm count.
The study, “Effect of mobile telephones on sperm quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” led by Fiona Mathews, Ph.D, at University of Exeter’s Biosciences department and recently published in Environmental International, analyzed results from ten previous studies with nearly 1,500 participants total from fertility clinics and research centers in order to determine a possible link between male infertility and cell phone exposure.
Mathews and her team analyzed the sperm samples according to three distinct criteria: motility, viability, and concentration. Motility refers to the percentage of sperm able to swim properly towards an egg, viability refers to the percentage of sperm alive in the sample, and concentration refers to the number of sperm per milliliter of semen.
Under ordinary circumstances, 50-85 percent of sperm have normal movement. With exposure to cell phones, however, researchers identified an 8 percent drop in sperm motility and sperm viability. The effects on sperm concentration were not as clear.
“Our analyses indicate negative associations between mobile phone exposure on sperm viability and motility,” the study’s abstract stated. “The effects on concentration are more equivocal. Further research is required to quantify these effects more precisely and to evaluate the clinical importance of the risk to both sub-fertile men and the general population.”
Researchers of the study suspect that low-level electromagnetic radiation emitted from cell phones could damage DNA by generating unstable oxygen compounds, and that thermal radiation, especially harmful when emitted by phones stored in front pockets, could heat up the testes to unnatural temperatures and damage the sperm stored there.
“Given the enormous scale of mobile phone use around the world, the potential role of this environmental exposure needs to be clarified,” Mathews said in a press release. “This study strongly suggests that being exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from carrying mobiles in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality. This could be particularly important for men already on the borderline of infertility, and further research is required to determine the full clinical implications for the general population.”
The study points out that 14percent of couples in high- and middle-income countries have problems conceiving. However, Mathews notes that decreased sperm motility or viability does not immediately signal male infertility, as only one sperm is needed to effectively fertilize an egg.
“The implications are likely to be greatest for subgroups of men with multiple exposures to different factors which act together to affect their sperm; and possibly for men who already have borderline fertility,” Mathews told The Huffington Post. “However, we need to remember that sperm quality is very variable naturally, and men with a wide range of ‘motility’ and ‘vitality’ measures can still be considered normal and achieve a pregnancy.”
Multiple factors figure into the damage that cell phones can pose to male virility; for example, where the phone is stored on a man’s body, how long the phone is kept in a pocket, and how much RF-EMR is emitted by the phone itself. Additionally, some potential blind spots in the research, such as a lack of direct cause and effect in the relationship between cell phones and male infertility, as well as a need to account for other individual environmental or lifestyle factors besides cell phone exposure that could potentially affect the findings, have caused some scientists to raise doubts about the viability of the study’s results.
The study itself points to this problem as a potential area of further research, stating, “…Mobile phone exposure may form part of a cumulative effect of modern day environmental exposures, that collectively reduce sperm quality and explain current trends in infertility. For example, recent evidence found wi-fi from laptops also negatively affected sperm quality (Avendano et al., 2012). A better understanding of the collective influence of environmental factors on sperm quality, and subsequently fertility, will help to improve treatment, advice and support for individuals seeking fertility treatment.”
Addressing these concerns in her correspondence with The Huffington Post, Mathews said, “I would not argue that use of a phone is going to suddenly make men infertile. However, given the increasing use of wireless devices, and general declines in sperm quality seen over the last 10-20 years across the developed world, this is certainly an area that is in urgent need of research.”
Mathews and other scientists agree that more studies are needed to conclusively answer further questions about the effects of cell phones on male fertility, especially in terms of sperm concentration. However, in the meantime, for men, Mathews suggests that it might be safer to avoid putting cell phones in front pockets.
“I think for your average man there’s certainly no need to panic,” Mathews told the BBC. “If you already know you have a potential fertility issue then it might be an additional thing to consider—just as you might change your diet—you might want to change where you keep your phone.”
– Melanie Abeygunawardana
