COVID-19 may affect male fertility, according to a study conducted in Germany. Researchers compared the sperm quality of men infected with COVID-19 to that of healthy men. They noted that the coronavirus could lead to reduced sperm quality and reduced fertility.
- German scientists compared the sperm of men infected with the coronavirus with the sperm of those who avoided the infection
- They showed that the sick sperm were less mobile and deformed, and their number in sperm was smaller
- These changes are likely related to fever, which is a very common symptom of COVID-19
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Scientists from Justus Liebig University in Germany studied the effects of COVID-19 infection on male fertility. In the analysis, they assessed, among others markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and sperm motility.
84 men who tested positive for COVID-19 and 105 healthy men took part in the study. They were all fertile. Semen was analyzed for 60 days at 10-day intervals.
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The study found that in men with COVID-19, markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in sperm were increased by over 100 percent. compared to healthy ones. Sperm concentration decreased by 516%, mobility by 209%, and sperm shape changed by 400%.
Such results indicate oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, one of the causes of male infertility.
– The effects of COVID-19 on sperm are associated with lower sperm quality and reduced fertility. Although these effects tended to improve over time, the effects were significant in COVID-19 patients, and the magnitude of these changes depended on the level of disease severity, assessed Behzad Hajizadeh Maleki, one of the authors of the study.
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In his opinion, “the male reproductive system during COVID-19 infection should be recognized by the World Health Organization as a high-risk organ.”
The results of scientists commented in an interview with «The Sun» prof. Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield. In his opinion, they are not entirely reliable – The study was completed 30 days too early, because the production of sperm takes about three months. It would be more useful if the differences in the two groups of men were checked after 90 days, ‘he said.
High temperature lethal to male organs
Earlier, researchers from the University of Assam in India spoke of the detrimental effect of elevated temperature on male organs. They warned in their research that high temperature, one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19, causes swelling in the testicles and can lead to infertility.
While these findings may be worrying, many scientists say more research is needed to find out about the actual effects of COVID-19 on fertility. Especially since the coronavirus-induced changes in semen diminish over time and are reversible. Besides, as is often emphasized in studies on the effects of COVID on the human body, correlation does not always mean causation.
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‘It has been documented time and time again that such changes are often seen after systemic disease, not caused by SARS-CoV-2, and recovery usually takes 3 months,’ said Professor Alison Murdoch, a fertility expert at Newcastle University.
Most importantly, there is no evidence of COVID-19 virus in semen or that the virus can be transmitted through semen, Murdoch added.
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