# RF-038 — Mobile-phone-use associations with objectively measured semen count

Why this matters
This study measured semen in young men and found an association between frequent phone use and lower total sperm count. It brings a human reproductive endpoint into the discussion. Because phone use was self-reported and RF dose was unmeasured, it cannot identify radiation as the cause or diagnose infertility.

Id: RF-038

Author: Rahban et al.

Full Authors: Rita Rahban; Alfred Senn; Serge Nef; Martin Rӧӧsli

Year: 2023

Title: Association between self-reported mobile phone use and the semen quality of young men

Journal: Fertility and Sterility

Citation: Rita Rahban; Alfred Senn; Serge Nef; Martin Rӧӧsli. Association between self-reported mobile phone use and the semen quality of young men. Fertility and Sterility. 2023;120(6):1181-1192. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.09.009.

Doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.09.009

Pmid: 37921737

Topic: Human reproductive observations

Verification Group: Original text reviewed

Record Role: Original text reviewed

Featured: True

Exposure: Self-reported mobile-phone-use frequency and phone placement,2005-2018. No personal RF field or testicular absorbed-dose measurements; network generation/output power not individually established.

Design: Nationwide Swiss cross-sectional conscription sample:2,886 men aged 18-22;2,759 reported usage frequency. Standardized semen analysis near 6 recruitment centres; adjusted regression, multiple imputation.

Finding: Higher usage frequency associated with lower total sperm count and a concentration trend. For >20 uses/day versus 1-5/day, adjusted total-count coefficient was negative; the corresponding concentration confidence interval included zero. No consistent adverse motility/morphology association, and pocket carriage was not associated with lower semen measures.

Statistics: Table 2, >20/day: cubic-root-transformed total-count β=-0.271(95%CI-0.515,-0.027),P=.030; concentration β=-0.152(CI-0.316,0.011),P=.067. Continuous frequency trends were significant for concentration(P=.032) and count(P=.012),Table 3.

Boundary: Cross-sectional association with phone-use behaviour, not established RF causation or measured infertility. Self-selection (~3% contributed biological material), residual lifestyle confounding, one semen sample and substantial exposure misclassification. Cubic-root coefficients are not percentage reductions. Temporal attenuation does not identify a causal mechanism.

Related: Swiss SCAHT/University of Geneva reproductive programme with Swiss TPH. Same conscription collection later used in geographical/semen studies; do not count those as independent RF replications.

Protection Question: Is the association with total sperm count related to RF or to other aspects of phone use and lifestyle? Unmeasured dose and cross-sectional sampling leave causation and fertility consequences unresolved.

Access: Original published 13-page PDF retrieved from University of Geneva archive; methods,Tables 2-3,Discussion and declarations reviewed. Scite metadata confirmed; no readable Scite fulltext.

Locator: Original pp 1182-1183/Methods;Table 2 p1185;Table 3 p1186;limitationsp 1189;declarationsp 1190.

Notice: No editorial notice surfaced in the Scite/primary-record checks used for this record; this is not a comprehensive clean-bill certification.

Funding: Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology(SCAHT) and Département de l'Instruction Publique,state of Geneva(toS.N.).

Conflicts: R.R./A.S.:nothing to disclose. S.N.:SCAHT/University of Geneva funding for work. M.R.:funding from Swiss environment/health offices,WHO,ANSES outside work and consulting fees from Swedish Radiation Authority.

Source Url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.09.009

Retrieval Links: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.09.009 | https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:179911 | https://access.archive-ouverte.unige.ch/access/metadata/6ad9d4d0-4b00-4509-9b42-63e20d7d1125/download | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37921737/

Verification Date: 2026-10-20