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How Mobile Phones Cause Infertility

When seeking answers to male infertility causes, it’s important to understand the noxious effects of commonly accepted lifestyle choices and factors that may weighing in on male fertility problems.

there is a growing body of evidence indicating that mobile phones can cause male infertility

These days we take mobile phone technology as an accepted and necessary part of life and unfortunately completely disregard the negative impact to our health and especially our fertility.

The reality is that for some couples this type of unprotected exposure combined with other minor lifestyle factors could actually make the difference between having a baby or not.

The danger of  male infertility is real

Radio frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMF) as produced my mobile phones, like all other forms of electromagnetic radiation cause enough of disruption to our body’s cells and physiological functions to warrant real caution in the use and protection against its negative health and fertility outcomes in both men and women.

There are 2 major ways in which mobile phone radiation my impact male infertility:

  1. It disrupts the hypothalamic, pituitary, thyroid, ovarian/testicular axis, which ensures optimum reproductive function – thus affecting male and female reproductive function, with sperm being most heavily affected but women also need to be very cautious because a hypothalamic/ovarian axis disruption can cause ovulatory and fertility challenges of their own kind;
  2. The electromagnetic waves emitted by these devices has a direct, physical, oxidative impact on the cells in close proximity to the radiating device.

Scientists concur…

Studies link male infertility with mobile phones

1. Cell phone radiation exposure on brain and associated biological systems.

Indian Journal of Experimental Biology. 2013 Mar;51(3):187-200 | Kesari KK, Siddiqui MH, Meena R, Verma HN, Kumar S. Study conclusions: Health endpoints reported to be associated with radio frequency (RF) include childhood leukemia, brain tumors, genotoxic effects, neurological effects and neuro-degenerative diseases, immune system deregulation, allergic and inflammatory responses, infertility and some cardiovascular effects.

Most of the reports conclude a reasonable suspicion of mobile phone risk that exists based on clear evidence of bio-effects which with prolonged exposures may reasonably be presumed to result in health impacts.


2. Challenging cell phone impact on reproduction: a review.

Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. 2012 Apr;29(4):293-7 | Merhi ZO. Study conclusions: The radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) produced by cell phones can enhance the excitability of the brain and has recently been classified as carcinogenic.

3. The semen quality of the mobile phone users.

Journal of Endocrinological Investigation. 2013 May 30 | Rago R and Salacone P, et al Study conclusions: Sperm DNA fragmentation significantly altered in the subjects who use the mobile phone for more than 4 hours for day and in particular for those who use the device in the pocket of the trousers.

4. Biophysical evaluation of radio-frequency electromagnetic field effects on male reproductive pattern.

Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics. 2013 Mar;65(2):85-96 | Kesari KK, Kumar S, Nirala J, Siddiqui MH, Behari J.
Study conclusions: There are hazardous health effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiations emitted from mobile phone on the human reproductive pattern. This is especially problematic while keeping mobile phones in pocket or near testicular organs.Testicular infertility or testicular cancer due to mobile phone or microwave radiations suggests an increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) also known as oxidation, which can also lead to DNA fragmentation.

mobile phone radiation exposure

Though generation of ROS in testis has been responsible for possible toxic effects on physiology of reproduction, the reviews of last few decades have well established that these radiations are very harmful and cause mutagenic changes in reproductive pattern and leads to infertility. Further concluding, radio frequency electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobile phone causes biological damage and leads to several changes like decreased sperm count, enzymatic and hormonal changes, DNA damage, and apoptosis formation.

5. Impact of cell phone use on men’s semen parameters.

Andrologia. 2011 Oct;43(5):312-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2011.01075.x. | Gutschi T, Mohamad Al-Ali B, Shamloul R, Pummer K, Trummer H. Study conclusions: In the patients of group A (exposed to mobile phone radiation), 68.0% of the spermatozoa featured a pathological morphology compared to only 58.1% in the subjects of group B (not exposed to mobile phone radiation). Our results showed that cell phone use negatively affects sperm quality in men.


Journal of Andrology. 2012 May-Jun;33(3):350-6 | La Vignera S, Condorelli RA, Vicari E, D’Agata R, Calogero AE. Study conclusions: In humans, 2 different experimental approaches have been followed: one has explored the effects of RF-EMR directly on spermatozoa and the other has evaluated the sperm parameters in men using or not using mobile phones. The results showed that human spermatozoa exposed to RF-EMR have decreased motility, morphology problems, and increased oxidative stress; and men using mobile phones have decreased sperm concentration, decreased motility (particularly rapid progressive motility), normal morphology, and decreased viability.

more than just a driving hazard, mobile phones linked to male infertility

7. Environmental factors and semen quality.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health. 2009;22(4):305-29 |  Jurewicz J, Hanke W, Radwan M, Bonde JP. Study conclusions: Mobile phones adversely affect the quality of semen by decreasing mostly motility but also the sperm counts, viability and morphology.

8. Male reproductive organs are at risk from environmental hazards.

Asian Journal of Andrology. 2010 Mar;12(2):152-6 | Bonde JP. Study conclusions: The male germ line (ie sperm) is one of the most sensitive tissues to the damaging effects of ionizing radiation, radiant heat and a number of known toxicants. So far occupational hazards are the best documented risk factors for impaired male reproductive function and include physical exposures (radiant heat, ionizing radiation, high frequency electromagnetic radiation), chemical exposures (some solvents as carbon disulfide and ethylene glycol ethers, some pesticides as dibromochloropropane, ethylendibromide and DDT/DDE, some heavy metals as inorganic lead and mercury) and work processes such as metal welding.

9. Effects of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (RF-EMW) from cellular phones on human ejaculated semen: an in vitro pilot study.

Fertility and Sterility. 2009 Oct;92(4):1318-25 | Agarwal A, Desai NR, Makker K, Varghese A, Mouradi R, Sabanegh E, Sharma R. Study conclusions: Radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted from cell phones may lead to a significant decrease in sperm motility and viability, increase in oxidative stress in human semen. Keeping the cell phone in a trouser pocket in talk mode may negatively affect spermatozoa and impair male fertility.

10. Cell phones and male infertility: dissecting the relationship.

Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2007 Sep;15(3):266-70 | Deepinder F, Makker K, Agarwal A. Study conclusions: A recent study found that use of cell phones adversely affects the quality of semen by decreasing the sperm counts, motility, viability and morphology.

11. Evaluation of the effect of using mobile phones on male fertility.

Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine. 2007;14(1):169-72 | Wdowiak A, Wdowiak L, Wiktor H.
Study conclusions: An increase in the percentage of sperm cells of abnormal morphology is associated with the duration of exposure to the waves emitted by the mobile phones. It was also confirmed that a decrease in the percentage of sperm cells in vital progressing motility in the semen is correlated with the frequency of using mobile phones.


Fertility and Sterility. 2008 Jan;89(1):124-8. Epub 2007 May 4 | Agarwal A, Deepinder F, Sharma RK, Ranga G, Li J. Study conclusions: Use of cell phones decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology.

Avoiding exposure is the best way of protecting one’s health and fertility for the long term.

In saying this, total avoidance is practically impossible because radio frequency electromagnetic radiation is an ever present factor that a growing weight of evidence suggests, contributes to infertility in Australia. Here are some ways you can protect yourself and your partner from the dangerous effects of electromagnetic radiation:

  • Decrease mobile phone use as much as possible—go back to using a landline with an old fashioned corded phone (cordless phones operate using the same principle as mobile phones)
  • Use a mobile phone’s speaker wherever possible—without ever sitting it on your lap!
  • NEVER carry a mobile phone that is switched on in your pocket—EVER!
  • At night avoid having your mobile phone by your bedside table; invest in a battery operated alarm clock (anything that plugs into a wall also emits EMR)—in addition to directly impacting fertility EMRs also negatively impact restful, regenerative, hormonal balancing sleep, which is another way fertility becomes compromised through exposure.
  • For men, be a trend-setter and acquire a “man bag” or very fashionable indeed “satchel” to carry your personal belongings including your mobile phone—you will never look back!
  • Use radiation reducing mobile phone covers to decrease your exposure.

Doing the best you can to reduce your exposure will not only increase your chances of conception but also of creating the healthiest possible baby. Please contact us if you would like to speak with our experts about the natural, female and male fertility treatment options that are available to you.



