Cell Phone Radiation Damages Sperm
Consistent evidence from experimental research, epidemiological studies and in vitro (cells) laboratory, and in vivo (animal) studies indicates that the radio frequency radiation exposure from cell phones and wireless devices is associated with impacts to reproduction including:
- Reduced sperm count
- Reduced sperm motility and concentration
- Damaged sperm DNA
- Altered sperm cell structure
- Increased erectile dysfunction
- decreased testosterone
The published science has led researchers to conclude “it is recommended to keep the cell phone away from the pelvis as much as possible (Hassanzadeh-Taheri et al, 2021).
Sperm counts are dropping
A 2017 analysis of over 40, 000 men in 50 countries found a 52.4% sperm decline in men from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Environmental exposures from plastics to chemicals to cell phone and Wi-Fi radiation are likely an important reason for this decline. Animal studies in female animals have found impacts to ovaries and the female reproductive system as well.
Science on sperm damage is growing
A 2020 study found men who reported using their phone more in the evenings had a reduced concentration of sperm, and their sperm were more lacking in “motility” – the ability to swim correctly. “Radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobile phones is one factor associated with these changes, the scientists said,” in the article “Men who use smartphone at night are damaging their fertility.”
Numerous reviews by scientists from various countries repeatedly documenting a mounting body of science showing cell phone radiation harms sperm and poses a risk to men’s health.
- A 2021 systematic review by Malaysian scientists found that wireless can decrease testosterone.
- The 2021 University of Delhi, India study Association between reproductive health and nonionizing radiation exposure,” published in the journal Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine concludes, “cell phone radiation harms male fertility by affecting the different parameters like sperm motility, sperm count, sperm morphology, semen concentration, morphometric abnormalities, increased oxidative stress along with some hormonal changes.”
- A 2021 Pusan National University Republic of Korea review published in Environmental Research concludes that, “accumulated data from in vivo studies show that mobile phone usage is harmful to sperm quality.”
- A 2021 systematic review by Chinese scientists published in Environmental Pollution concludes that “mobile phone RF-EMR exposure could suppress sperm motility and viability.”
Women’s Health
The 2022 review “The role of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation on female fertility: A review” published in the International Journal of Public Health Research states, “To date, in vitro and in vivo studies unveiled that exposure to non-ionizing radiations brings about harmful effects on oocytes, ovarian follicles, endometrial tissue, estrous cycle, reproductive endocrine hormones, developing embryo, and fetal development in animal models” and concludes that non-ionizing radiation can “also affect other female reproductive parameters that might lead to infertility.”
2021 European Parliament Research Report
European Parliament requested a research report “Health Impact of 5G” released in July 2021 concluding that commonly used RFR frequencies (450 to 6000 MHz) are probably carcinogenic for humans and clearly affect male fertility with possible adverse effects on the development of embryos, fetuses and newborns.
What You Can Do
1. Read the Fine Print
All device manufacturers advise that each device should be held at some distance away from human bodies and brains. Turn the Power OFF on phones, tablets, Mp3 players etc, before they are placed in a pants pocket, suit jacket or tucked into clothing.
2. Prefer Non-Wireless Connections
For phone (landline), internet, printer and entertainment gear, connect by cord or cable with all wireless features off. Turning off your Wi-Fi at night reduces your exposure significantly. However if you have Wi-Fi on during the day (especially with the router near your body in your office) you could be getting daily significant exposure. Installing fully wired systems eliminates this source completely.
3. Increase Distance
Keep wireless devices away from your lap! Do not place your cell phone, laptop or tablet on your lap. Decrease your exposure by increasing your distance from emitting sources. Remember that even if a device is not in use, it will still emit regular short bursts of microwave radiation.
4. Turn It Off When Not in Use
You can easily decrease your exposures by turning off wireless networks and devices whenever you aren’t actively using them. Remember that DECT home phones, wireless routers and gaming consoles all emit microwave radiation regardless of whether you are actively using a device. Gaming consoles need to be completely unplugged to eliminate the radiation output.
5. Practice Safe Phone
When you must use a mobile phone, put in Airplane mode/Wi-Fi OFF when not in use and use a speaker phone, headset or a plug-in earpiece. When you use your cell phone do not rest it near your body. Trade in your home cordless phone for a good old fashioned landline with a wired handset and use that more often. Remember that children should not use mobile phones except in emergency.
6. Drive Safe
Power OFF in vehicles. Mobile devices distract us and a split second is all it takes. In terms of radiation exposure, they emit higher power radiation during travel and the metal surroundings create radiation hotspots. If your cell phone is on, do not rest your cell phone on your lap while driving. Place it as far away as possible.
Dr. Devra Davis’ peer-reviewed research on the impact of wireless radiation with Malka N. Halgamuge of the University of Melbourne Australia Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering includes “A meta-analysis of in vitro exposures to weak radiofrequency radiation exposure from mobile phones (1990–2015),” which documented effects in faster-growing cell types such as human sperm. She also co-authored “Proteomic analysis of continuous 900-MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in testicular tissue: a rat model of human cell phone exposure” which concludes, “Our results indicate that exposure to RF-EMF produces increases in testicular proteins in adults that are related to carcinogenic risk and reproductive damage. In light of the widespread practice of men carrying phones in their pockets near their gonads, where exposures can exceed as-tested guidelines, further study of these effects should be a high priority.”
Davis’ paper “Proteomic impacts of electromagnetic fields on the male reproductive system,” reviews the proteomic experimental and clinical evidence that electromagnetic fields “act as a male-mediated teratogen and contributor to infertility.”
“The epidemiological studies of men assessed for infertility were consistent in demonstrating decreased sperm motility associated with increased use of mobile phones” and “biological effects on sperm motility related to RF exposure”. —The BC Center for Disease Control 2013 Report, A Radiofrequency Toolkit for Environmental Health Practitioners.
Jangid P, Rai U, Sharma RS, Singh R. The role of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation on female fertility: A review. Int J Environ Health Res. 2022 Feb 8:1-16. doi: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2030676.
Maluin SM et al., (2021) Effect of Radiation Emitted by Wireless Devices on Male Reproductive Hormones: A Systematic Review. Front Physiol. Sep 24;12:732420
Sungjoon Kim et al., (2021) Effects of mobile phone usage on sperm quality – No time-dependent relationship on usage: A systematic review and updated meta-analysis. Environ Res. 2021 Jul 29;111784.
Yu G et al (2021) Current progress on the effect of mobile phone radiation on sperm quality: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of human and animal studies. Environ Pollut. Aug 1;282:116952.
Kesari KK, Agarwal A, Henkel R. Radiations and male fertility. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2018 Dec 9;16(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s12958-018-0431-1.
Houston B., et al. “The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on sperm function.” Reproduction, 2016.
Sepehrimanesh, Masood and Devra Lee Davis. “Proteomic impacts of electromagnetic fields on the male reproductive system.” Comparative Clinical Pathology, 2016, pp. 1-5.
Adams, J., et al. “Effect of mobile telephones on sperm quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Environment International, vol. 80, 2014, pp. 106-12.
Merhi, Zaher O. “Challenging cell phone impact on reproduction: A Review.” Journal of Assist Reprod Genet, vol. 29, no. 4, 2012, pp. 293–97.
Gye, Myung Chan and Chan Jin Park. “Review: Effect of electromagnetic field exposure on the reproductive system.” Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine, vol. 39, no. 1, 2012, pp. 1–9.
La Vignera, S., et al. “Effects of the exposure to mobile phones on male reproduction: a review of the literature.” Journal of Andrology, vol. 33, no. 3, 2012, pp. 350-56.
Desai, N.R., K.K. Kesari and A. Agarwal. “Pathophysiology of cell phone radiation: oxidative stress and carcinogenesis with focus on male reproductive system.” Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, vol. 7, no. 114, 2009.
Kamali, K., et al. “Effects of electromagnetic waves emitted from 3G+ wi-fi modems on human semen analysis.” Urologia 14.0 (2017).
Koohestanidehaghi Y, Khalili MA, Fesahat F, Seify M, Mangoli E, Kalantar SM, Annarita Nottola S, Macchiarelli G, Grazia Palmerini M. (2023) Detrimental effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted by mobile phones on morphokinetics, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in mouse preimplantation embryos. Environ Pollut. Nov 1;336:122411.
Kuzay, D., et al. “Oxidative effects of extremely low frequency magnetic field and radio frequency radiation on testes tissues of diabetic and healthy rats.” Bratislava Medical Journal, vol. 118, no. 5, 2017, pp. 278-82.
Parsanezhad, M.E., et al. “Exposure to radiofrequency radiation emitted from mobile phone jammers adversely affects the quality of human sperm.” International Journal of Radiation Research, vol. 15, no. 1, 2017.
Solek P., et al. “Pulsed or continuous electromagnetic field induce p53/p21-mediated apoptotic signaling pathway in mouse spermatogenic cells in vitro and thus may affect male fertility.” Toxicology, 2017.
Oyewopo, A.O., et al. “Radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from cell phone causes defective testicular function in male Wistar rats.”Andrologia, 2017.
Odaci, E., et al. “Effects of prenatal exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field on 60-day-old rat testis and epididymal sperm quality.” Biotechnic and Histochemistry, vol. 91, no. 1, 2016, pp. 9-19.
Akdag, M.Z., et al. “Does prolonged radiofrequency radiation emitted from Wi-Fi devices induce DNA damage in various tissues of rats?” Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, vol. 75, pt. B, 2016, pp. 116-22.
Yüksel, M., M. Nazıroğlu and M.O. Özkaya. “Long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones and Wi-Fi devices decreases plasma prolactin, progesterone, and estrogen levels but increases uterine oxidative stress in pregnant rats and their offspring.” Endocrine, vol. 52, no. 2, 2016, pp. 352-62.
Bakacak, M., et al. “The effects of electromagnetic fields on the number of ovarian primordial follicles: An experimental study.” Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Science, vol. 31, no. 6, 2015, pp. 287-92.
Azadi, Oskouyi E., et al. “Effects of microwaves (950 MHZ mobile phone) on morphometric and apoptotic changes of rabbit epididymis.” Andrologia, 2014.
Shahin, S., et al. “2.45 GHz Microwave Irradiation Adversely Affects Reproductive Function in Male Mouse, Mus musculus by Inducing Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress”. Free Radical Research, vol. 48, no. 5, 2014, pp. 511-25.
Atasoy, H.I., et al. “Immunohistopathologic demonstration of deleterious effects on growing rat testes of radiofrequency waves emitted from conventional Wi-Fi devices.” Journal of Pediatric Urology, vol. 9, no. 2, 2013, pp. 223-9.
Ghanbari, M., et al. “The Effects of Cell Phone Waves (900 MHz-GSM Band) on Sperm Parameters and Total Antioxidant Capacity in Rats.” International Journal of Fertility and Sterility, vol. 7, no. 1, 2013, pp. 21-8.
Avendaño C, et al. “Use of laptop computers connected to internet through Wi-Fi decreases human sperm motility and increases sperm DNA fragmentation.” Fertility and Sterility, vol. 97, no. 1, 2012, pp. 39-45.
Panagopoulos, D. “Effect of microwave exposure on the ovarian development of Drosophila melanogaster. Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, vol. 63, no. 2, 2012, pp. 121-32.
Agarwal, A., et al. “Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic waves (RFEMW) from cellular phones on human ejaculated semen: an in vitro pilot study.” Fertility and Sterility, vol. 4, 2009, pp. 1318-25
DeIuliis, G.N., et al. “Mobile phone radiation induces reactive oxygen species production and DNA damage in human spermatozoa in vitro. Plos One, vol. 4, no. 7, 2009.
Gul, A., H. Celebi and S. Uğraş. “The effects of microwave emitted by cellular phones on ovarian follicles in rats.” Arch Gynecol Obstet, vol. 280, no. 5, 2009, pp. 729-33.
S.S. du Plessis et al. (eds.), Male Infertility: A Complete Guide to Lifestyle and Environmental Factors, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-1040-3_11, © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
Y Dagan, Y Dagan, A Kahane, L Shine, S Barak, A Green. 0029 Light Emitted from Media Devices at Night is Associated with Decline in Sperm Quality. Sleep, 2020; 43 (Supplement_1): A12 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.028
Kamali, K., et al. “Effects of electromagnetic waves emitted from 3G+ wi-fi modems on human semen analysis.” Urologia 14.0 (2017).
Davis DL., Pilarcik, AM., Miller, AB. (2020) Increased Generational Risk of Colon and Rectal Cancer in Recent Birth Cohorts under Age 50 – the Hypothetical Role of Radiofrequency Radiation from Cell Phones. Ann Gastroenterol Dig Dis, 3(1): 09-16.
A Green, S Barak, L Shine, A Kahane, Y Dagan, Y Dagan, 0029 Light Emitted from Media Devices at Night is Associated with Decline in Sperm Quality, Sleep, Volume 43, Issue Supplement_1, April 2020, Page A12, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.028
Medical Appeals and Recommendations
“Keep your cell phone out of your pants pocket – even if you have a Bluetooth in your ear. Studies conducted at Cleveland Clinic have shown that the radio frequency electromagnetic waves emitted by cell phones may increase oxidative stress and decrease sperm motility, contributing to decreased fertility.”
,
American Academy of Pediatrics – Letters Calling for Updating Radiation Standards
2019 US Doctors and Experts National 5G Resolution
International Society of Doctors for Environment – Appeal for a 5G Standstill
The EMF Call – Protective Limits for Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields
Scientists Join Canadian Doctor Appeal on 5G
Ontario Doctors Appeal and former Microsoft Canada President
New Jersey Education Association – Minimize Health Risks from Electronic Devices
Environment and Human Health, Inc. – Technology, Exposures, Health Effects
Irish Doctors Environmental Association
Bioinitiative Working Group – 2012 Report on Biologically Based Exposure Standards
International Appeal to Stop 5G on Earth and in Space, Scientists (4,503), Engineers (8,036), Medical Doctors (2,593), Nurses (4,177),Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Social Workers(9,663)
Hippocrates Electrosmog Appeal of Belgium – Over 550 Health Professional Signatures
California Department of Public Health – Reduce Exposure to Radiofrequency From Cell Phones
The BabySafe Project – Health Professionals Warn of Dangers of Wireless Radiation on Pregnancy
