How Mobile Phones Could Harm Sperm Production

There is considerable, but not proven, evidence that mobile phones could reduce sperm production and motility.  Here is an overview to assist you.

2004: European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Conference.

Scientists studied mobile phone use and sperm counts in 221 men over a 13 month period comparing high users and non-users. Those who were heavy users had sperm counts up to 30% lower than non-users and that just having the phone on in your pocket was sufficient to reduce the sperm count. 

This was the first study and actually was heavily criticized by other researchers due to being an observational study rather than an interventional study which would have been more scientific.

2006: American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference

Another study led by Ashok Agarwal reported at this conference, that they took samples of sperm from men attending a fertility clinic and found the sperm declined steadily in number, quality and ability to swim as mobile usage increased. Four hours use a day resulted in a 30% drop in sperm motility or movement and viability when compared to men who did not use a mobile phone. This study divided 361 men into 4 groups all depending upon their mobile phone usage. The results indicated that the sperm decreased in quality and quantity as mobile phone usage increased.

2006: Archives of Medical Research

27 males provided semen samples which was divided equally into 2 parts. One group of samples was exposed to 900MHz mobile phone whereas the other was not. The concentration and motility of the specimens were compared to analyse the effects of the electro-magnetic radiation (mobile phone emmissions).

The amount of movement decreased between the exposed group and the un-exposed group. There was also an increase in the amount of sperm that had no movement. It was conlcuded that  mobile phones do effect sperm motility. However, it was a small study and required further investigation t obtain more concrete answers.

2008: Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.

This study took semen samples from 32 men. This time, the samples were divided into two groups. One group was exposed to mobile phone radiation, the other was not but otherwise, both sets of samples were kept in the same conditions. 

The exposed sample group was placed 2.5cm away from 850MHz mobile phone in talk mode for 1 hour, this was to mimic a phone being in a trouser pocket and close to the testes. This group was found to have a significant increase in free radicals and oxidants and a decrease in antioxidants. However these changes can also be found in response to environmental pollutants or infection.

2009: Department of Biochemistry, Melaka Manipal,, Medical College India Clinics (Sao Paolo). 2009; 64(6):561-5

Wistar rats were exposed to radio frequency electro-magnetic radation for 1 continuous hour a day for 28 days. Another group of wistar rats wre exposed to a mobile phone without a battery for the same period. The phones were kept separate to remove the chance that the heat from the phones had an effect.

The results found that the exposed rats had a significantly reduced percentage of motile sperm.

Our advice based on this evidence.

There have been too few studies to make categorical statements on what you must do. However, it would appear from the evidence to date that it would do no harm to change the position of where you carry your mobile phone to aid sperm motility and possible production.

Many men carry their mobile phones in their trouser pockets. Perhaps carry it in a shirt pocket or use an exercise arm band. It also appears from the evidence that if you have a briefcase or similar bag, then this might work even better.

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