A study of nearly 3,000 Swiss men over the course of 13 years has shown a link between frequent cell phone use and a decrease in sperm quantity. What's more, today's 4G and 5G networks may have less of an impact than older communications technology.
In undertaking the study, researchers from the University of Geneva, along with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, looked at data from 2,886 men aged between 18 and 22. All of the men were recruited at six different military conscription centers between 2005 and 2018. According to the team, this was the largest cross-sectional study to examine cell phone usage patterns and sperm count.
The researchers found that men who used their phones more than 20 times per day had a median sperm count of 44.5 million/mL. This was 21% lower than in men who only used their phones once a week, whose median sperm count clocked in at 56.5 million/mL.