Effects of cell phone use on semen parameters: Results from the MARHCS cohort study in Chongqing, China.
Zhang G, Yan H, Chen Q, Liu K, Ling X, Sun L, Zhou N, Wang Z, Zou P, Wang X, Tan L, Cui Z, Zhou Z, Liu J, Ao L, Cao J. · 2016
View Original AbstractDaily cell phone use significantly reduces sperm concentration and count in healthy young men, with longer talk times causing greater fertility impacts.
Plain English Summary
Researchers tracked cell phone usage and sperm quality in nearly 800 Chinese college students over three years. They found that men who talked on their phones longer each day had significantly lower sperm concentration, reduced sperm count, and decreased semen volume. The effects were particularly strong for internet use on cellular networks, suggesting that regular cell phone use may harm male fertility.
Why This Matters
This study addresses a critical gap in EMF research by following healthy young men from the general population rather than fertility clinic patients, eliminating selection bias that has plagued earlier studies. The findings are particularly concerning because they show dose-dependent effects - the more time spent talking on phones, the greater the reduction in sperm quality. What makes this research especially relevant is that these college students represent typical phone users, not heavy occupational exposures. The science demonstrates that everyday cell phone use at normal levels can measurably impact reproductive health. The consistency of negative associations across three years of follow-up strengthens confidence in these findings, adding to a growing body of evidence linking RF radiation to male fertility problems.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
To investigate effects of cell phone use on semen parameters in a general population
,We screened and documented the cell phone use information of 794 young men from the Male Reproducti...
In the univariate regression analyses, we found that the daily duration of talking on the cell phone...
Our results showed that certain aspects of cell phone use may negatively affect sperm quality in men by decreasing the semen volume, sperm concentration, or sperm count, thus impairing male fertility.
Show BibTeX
@article{g_2016_effects_of_cell_phone_2701,
author = {Zhang G and Yan H and Chen Q and Liu K and Ling X and Sun L and Zhou N and Wang Z and Zou P and Wang X and Tan L and Cui Z and Zhou Z and Liu J and Ao L and Cao J.},
title = {Effects of cell phone use on semen parameters: Results from the MARHCS cohort study in Chongqing, China.},
year = {2016},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26949865/},
}