March 31, 2026 Jacky Chan

Red Light Therapy and Fertility: What the Research Says (and Doesn't)

This article is for general education and isn't medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting any new therapy, especially if you have a diagnosed condition, are pregnant or trying to conceive, or take medications that increase light sensitivity.

Red light therapy and fertility is a topic that comes up more and more, often with big promises attached. This article takes a careful look at what has actually been studied, what those studies can and can't tell us, and which questions are worth bringing to your doctor. I'm a certified personal trainer, not a fertility specialist, so the goal here is general education. If you're trying to conceive, the most useful step you can take is working with an OB-GYN, reproductive endocrinologist or urologist who can look at your specific situation.

What Red Light Therapy Is

Red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation (PBM) or low-level light therapy, uses low-power red and near-infrared light from LEDs or lasers. It's thought to act on mitochondria, the energy-producing parts of cells. According to Cleveland Clinic, there isn't enough evidence to support most of the uses red light therapy is promoted for, and many studies have been small, lacked a placebo group, or were done in animals or cells. Cleveland Clinic also notes that the long-term safety of red light devices isn't yet known.

Why Researchers Are Interested in Fertility

Like most cells, eggs and sperm rely on mitochondria for energy. Because red light therapy is thought to act on mitochondria, some researchers have proposed that it could affect reproductive cells or the tissues around them, and a 2025 paper in Photonics reviews these proposed mechanisms. It's a reasonable question to study. But a plausible mechanism is a starting point for research, not evidence that something works in people.

What Studies in Women Have Reported

The human studies we found on red light therapy and female fertility are case reports and small case series. These describe what happened to a handful of patients, without a comparison group.

A 2024 case series in the Journal of Clinical Medicine followed three women with unexplained, age-related infertility who received sessions of red and near-infrared light. The authors reported that all three went on to have a full-term pregnancy. They also listed the study's limitations themselves: no control or sham group, a small number of participants, and a low level of evidence. They called for larger studies to test their approach.

A 2025 case report in Photonics described one 27-year-old woman with PCOS, endometriosis and low ovarian reserve who conceived naturally after a course of red and near-infrared light sessions. Around the same time, she also took metformin and switched to a Mediterranean-style anti-inflammatory diet, and she'd had surgery for endometriosis in 2022. The authors wrote that the light sessions "could have positively contributed," but stated that a single observational case can't establish cause and effect.

Why this matters: without a comparison group, there's no way to know whether a pregnancy happened because of the light, because of other changes, or would have happened anyway. Case reports are useful for generating ideas for research. They can't tell you whether a therapy works.

What Studies in Men Have Reported

The male fertility research we reviewed was lab-based. In a 2023 study in the Revista Internacional de Andrología, researchers took semen samples from 20 men with low sperm motility and exposed portions of each sample to 650 nm red light in the lab. The light-exposed portions showed higher motility than the unexposed controls. That's an interesting lab finding, but it was sperm in a dish, not men using a device, and the authors noted that more research is needed on possible effects on sperm DNA before any clinical use. We didn't find controlled trials in men that measured pregnancy rates.

Heat is a real consideration for men. Mayo Clinic notes that high temperatures may harm sperm production, that some studies suggest saunas or hot tubs may lower sperm count for a time, and that long periods of sitting or working on a laptop, or wearing tight clothing, may raise scrotal temperature. If you're trying to conceive, talk with your doctor before regular sauna or hot tub use, and avoid anything that noticeably warms the groin area.

What We Don't Know Yet

Whether it works. We didn't find any large randomized controlled trials testing red light therapy against a placebo for pregnancy or live-birth rates, in women or in men.
The right settings. Wavelengths, power, session length and treatment area vary widely between reports, and the 2024 case series authors called for larger studies to validate their dosing and protocols.
Safety around conception and pregnancy. Long-term safety isn't established, and we didn't find safety research on using light devices over the abdomen in early pregnancy. If there's any chance you're pregnant, check with your OB first.
How it fits with IVF or other fertility care. We didn't find controlled studies on combining red light therapy with IVF or other fertility treatment, so don't add it without your clinic's input.

The Step With the Strongest Support: See a Specialist

Mayo Clinic recommends seeing a health care professional if you haven't gotten pregnant after at least a year of trying, after six months if you're 35 or older, and sooner if you're over 40 or have known risk factors. Infertility causes can affect one or both partners, so it makes sense for both to be evaluated. Mayo Clinic gives men the same one-year guideline in its male infertility overview.

Questions you might bring to that appointment:

What testing makes sense for both of us?
Is there anything in my health history, medications or routine that could be affecting fertility?
Are there any wellness devices, saunas or supplements I should avoid while we're trying?
If I'm curious about red light therapy, is there any reason it wouldn't be safe for me?

General Health Habits

As a trainer, I'd rather see people put their energy into the basics first: regular moderate exercise, good sleep, a balanced diet, not smoking, and keeping alcohol in check. These habits support overall health, and your doctor can tell you which ones matter most for your situation.

If You Use Red Light for General Wellness

Some people use red light therapy for general wellness or skin. If you do, follow the device instructions, protect your eyes (Cleveland Clinic notes the eyes can be damaged without protection), ask your pharmacist whether any medication you take increases light sensitivity, and avoid overuse, which Cleveland Clinic notes could damage the skin. Our red light therapy collection lists wavelength and power specs for each device, and Red Light Therapy 101 covers the basics in more depth.

Sources

Written by Jacky Chan, certified personal trainer, stretch therapist and massage therapist, and founder of Peak Flow Fitness. Have a question about the equipment in this guide? Contact our team.

Filed in: fertility, photobiomodulation, recovery, red light therapy, reproductive health

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