Men’s fertility has declined dramatically. A research group has now proven that everyday cell phone use plays a part in this.
Manchester – The number of male sperm has more than halved in the past 50 years. During this time, people’s everyday lives have changed extremely quickly and dramatically.
Researchers explain the declining fertility of men as follows: environmental pollution, toxins in our food and water, the increase in obesity and chronic diseases, but also the daily use of a cell phone are possible causes. Scientists were now able to do the latter in one study prove.
University of Geneva examines connection between cell phones and sperm count
A research team from the University of Geneva, in cooperation with the Tropical and Public Health Institute in Switzerland, investigated how the use of a cell phone affects sperm – particularly with regard to electromagnetic radiation. The study by the University of Geneva in the specialist magazine Fertility & Sterility was published, started in 2005. 2886 men between the ages of 18 and 22 were invited to take part in the study as part of their military recruitment.
In a statement, the university writes that over the past 50 years, sperm counts have “decreased from an average of 99 million sperm per milliliter to 47 million per milliliter.” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it would probably take a man more than a year to father a child if his sperm concentration is below 15 million per milliliter.
“In addition, the percentage chance of pregnancy decreases when sperm concentration is below 40 million per milliliter,” the university said. While fertility is declining, researchers have managed to create an embryo without sperm or egg.
Study shows connection between frequent cell phone use and lower sperm concentration
The study now proves “that frequent cell phone use is associated with lower sperm concentration and total sperm count.” However, the researchers found no connection between cell phone use and low sperm motility and morphology.
According to the university, the “mean sperm concentration was significantly higher in the group of men who used their phone no more than once a week (56.5 million/ml) than in men who used their phone more than 20 times a day used (44.5 million/ml)”. Cell phone use could be responsible for a sperm decline of around 20 percent. Last Researchers warned that cell phone calls would increase blood pressure.
How does 4G affect sperm count?
In addition, the researchers found that this inverse relationship was more pronounced in the first study period (2005-2007) and gradually decreased over time (2008-2011 and 2012-2018). “This trend corresponds to the transition from 2G to 3G and then from 3G to 4G, which has led to a reduction in the transmission power of phones,” explains Martin Röösli, associate professor at Swiss TPH. Over 5G, which already reaches 90 percent of all households in Germanythere is no information yet.
Rita Rahban, lead author of the study and lead researcher at the University of Geneva, explains: “Previous studies examining the relationship between mobile phone use and semen quality have been carried out on a relatively small number of people, with little consideration of lifestyle information “. This would not have produced conclusive results.
A cell phone in your pocket is probably no reason for lower sperm counts
The study also showed that the position of the phone – for example in the pocket – was not associated with lower semen parameters. “However, the number of people who reported not carrying their phone close to their body was too small to draw a truly robust conclusion on this particular point,” Rahban said.
However, the research is far from over: “Do the microwaves emitted by cell phones have a direct or indirect effect? Do they cause a significant increase in temperature in the testicles? Do they affect the hormonal regulation of sperm production? All of this remains to be discovered,” Rita Rahban.
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