Is your sperm count getting affected by the cellphone in your trouser pocket?

“There are some anecdotal studies, like an Israeli one, which says that sperm quality was not affected. But yes, given the earlier exposure of our young population to cellphones — and device addiction highest between 20 and 35 — particularly among men, the sperm quality and quantity could certainly be affected over the long term when compounded by other triggers as well,” he adds.

So, what’s the science behind the impact of cellphone radiation on our bodies?  “When there is excess heat and radiation from devices, the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) molecule levels rise in our bodies. These are what you would call free radicals, a type of unstable molecules that contain oxygen and that easily react with other molecules in a cell. They create oxidative stress. A build-up of reactive oxygen species in cells may cause damage to DNA, RNA and proteins, and may cause cell death. This is why they are particularly harmful to sperms. That’s why antioxidants and vitamin E are prescribed to negate ROS,” explains Dr  Gupta. However, he adds, “Mobiles are not the only devices which are raising ROS. Smoking, pollution and stress spike ROS just as much. So, their increased counts in the body are multifactorial. For men in their reproductive age, the problems are compounded by their hectic lifestyles – they tend to overwork, sleep late, drink more, are overweight, are not particular about routine and diet and have the worst lifestyle management problems in the population.”

Dr Rashmi Sharma, Founder and Director, Origyn IVF, adds another causative factor for oxidative stress. “You have got to factor in the role of pesticides we are exposed to in our daily lives. It is difficult to quantify the effect of EMR on women because you cannot count eggs. Also, ovaries are far away from the contact zone, but yes exposure can result in a long-term impact on the quality of eggs. One study has shown that overuse of cellphones in pregnant women can result in a faulty foetus. A study by Korean scientists specifically found that cellphone use was linked to lower overall sperm quality – its motility, viability and concentration. It was worse for men with ‘high” cell usage,” she says.

A comprehensive review of studies on the effects of EMR from mobile phones on male fertility from 2003 to 2020, where PubMed database was used, concluded that animal and human spermatozoa exposed to EMR emitted by mobile phones had reduced motility, structural anomalies, and increased oxidative stress due to overproduction of reactive oxygen species. “Scrotal hyperthermia and increased oxidative stress might be the key mechanisms through which EMR affects male fertility. However, these negative effects appear to be associated with the duration of mobile phone use. EMR might alter male reproductive-endocrine mechanisms by affecting testicular functions necessary for testosterone and sperm production….The human testis is very subtle to radiation and heat. Short-term exposure of male Wistar rats to mobile phone radiation caused a slight decrease in serum testosterone levels and testicular weight,” the review said.

It also mentioned a study dome with Sony Ericsson cellphones. “Semen samples in the exposed group were exposed to EMR emitted from a mobile phone in talk mode (the mobile phone device was Sony Ericsson w300i; the service provider was AT and T; Global System for Mobile communications network; 850 MHz frequency; maximum power <1 W; specific absorption rate 1.46 W/kg), the distance between the cell phone antenna and each specimen was kept at 2.5 cm, and the duration of exposure was 60 minutes. After exposing the semen in the exposed group to mobile phone radiation, the semen samples from both groups (control and exposed) were examined for sperm concentration, motility and viability. ROS was measured in the exposed and control groups….There was a statistically significant decrease in the laboratory values of mean sperm count, morphology, motility, and quality/viability, among four different mobile phone user groups exposed to mobile phone EMR daily…long-term exposure to mobile phone EMR may cause reductions in serum testosterone levels.”

So, what does all of this mean? Just set up a cellphone hygiene routine for yourself so that you do not overuse the device. While it may not be solely responsible for your reproductive health, it certainly compounds the effects of other triggers.