Medical/biological study (observational study)

Is there a relationship between cell phone use and semen quality? med./bio.

By: Fejes I, Zavaczki Z, Szollosi J, Koloszar S, Daru J, Kovacs L, Pal A

Published in: Arch Androl 2005; 51 (5): 385-393

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To determine a possible relationship between regular cell phone use and different human sperm attributes.

Background/further details

A total of 371 men of reproductive age were included, who presented at the authors clinic because of infertility problems.
The categories of motility were: percentage of rapid progressive motile sperm (grade A), percentage of slow progressive motile sperm (grade B), percentage of non-progressive motile sperm (grade C), and percentage of immotile sperm (grade D), according to the WHO standards.

Endpoint

effects on the reproductive system: sperm quality

Exposure

- mobile communications
- GSM

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: unspecified Exposure duration: 15 min/day, 60 min/day, 1 h/day (in standby mode) and 20 h/day (in standby mode); values acquired by interview	-

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	unspecified
Exposure duration	15 min/day, 60 min/day, 1 h/day (in standby mode) and 20 h/day (in standby mode); values acquired by interview

Modulation

Modulation type	unspecified

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone
Additional info	For the study men of reproductive age were divided into the following groups: men who used cell phones for less than 15 min/day, those who used for 60 min/day, those who kept the cell phone in standby position within 50 cm for less than 1 h/day and those who kept their cell phones in the standby position within a distance of 50 cm for more than 20 h/day.

Parameters

No parameters are specified for this exposure.

Exposed system:

human

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

effects on the reproductive system: sperm quality (sperm motility; sperm concentration; total sperm count)
questions on cell phone use habits (including possession (in months), daily standby position (closer than 50 cm; in hours), daily transmission times (in minutes))

Investigated system:

sperms

Investigated organ system:

reproductive system

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The duration of possession and the daily transmission time correlated negatively with the proportion of rapid progressive motile sperm, and positively with the proportion of slow progressive motile sperm. The low (less than 15 minutes/day) and high (over 60 minutes/day) transmitter control groups also differed in the proportion of rapid progressive motile sperm. The prolonged use of cell phones may have negative effects on the sperm motility characteristics.

Study character:

medical/biological study
observational study
full/main study

Study funded by

not stated/no funding

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