This RF Safe commentary argues that U.S. RF exposure protections remain anchored to “thermal-only” assumptions from the 1990s despite what it describes as newer WHO-commissioned systematic reviews elevating certain animal cancer endpoints and a male fertility endpoint to “high certainty.” It contrasts these claims with a WHO-commissioned review of human observational studies that reportedly found mobile-phone RF exposure is likely not associated with increased risk of several head/brain tumors, arguing that this is often overgeneralized in public messaging. The piece calls for “prudent avoidance,” updates to FCC rules, and highlights legal and policy constraints such as federal preemption under the Telecommunications Act and a 2021 D.C. Circuit decision criticizing the FCC’s rationale for retaining its RF limits without adequate explanation.

This systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis synthesizes human observational studies on radiofrequency EMF exposure and male fertility outcomes. It reports evidence of an association between RF exposure and poorer sperm parameters, including reduced quality, motility, and viability. The authors frame the findings as consistent with potential reproductive health risks and call for continued risk assessment and guideline development.