Does Covid-19 Affect Male Fertility?

Since the onslaught of the pandemic began and the subsequently the vaccine came into play, a common rumour that has been doing rounds is the relationship between the virus, vaccine and infertility. Needless to say, a number of researchers have invested hundreds of hours and resources into disapproving this rumour and putting these negative connotations to rest.

What Does Being Male Have to Do With COVID?

Several viruses such as Zika virus, Ebola, Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex, HIV, human papilloma, or even mumps in the past have a history of causing temporary or permanent fertility issues. On that note, another key issue that came to light during these investigations was the negative impact of the virus specifically on male fertility. Expert researchers have been tracking and monitoring how the Covid-19 virus was affecting male patients in comparison to their female counterparts.

One of the possible reasons for the severe adverse impact could be due to its mechanism of transmission.  

How Does the Covid-19 Virus Affect the Male Body?

In order to determine the extent of the virus’s impact on the male body, it is important to have an understanding of how the SARS-CoV-2 gains entry into the body. The established fact is that as soon as the virus enters the body, it starts to multiply. However, the replication happens only if the virus is able to bind to the ACE2 receptor.

The ACE2 receptor is a type of protein that is found on the surface of the cells. These cells can be traced in the mouth, lungs, heart and other areas throughout the body. This is common to both males and females.

Having said that, there is a point of worry. Researchers found that the male testicles among other tissues in the body showed the highest level of ACE2 mRNA expression. According to researchers, this could be a possible target for the SARS-CoV-2 to target and damage it severely.

Another reason for researchers to focus on the impact of Covid-19 on male fertility was because of the existing history of the SARS-CoV-1 virus that led to the SARS outbreak in 2003 – 2004. The virus, back then, had had a similar impact on the ACE2 receptor resulting in some harmful impact on male sexual organs.

What is the Ongoing Concern Among Researchers?

As the pandemic continues to play havoc, the concern about the impact of the coronavirus and its damaging effect on male fertility in the case of those infected with the virus remains an understandable concern for many. Keeping that as the focus, there have been 14 studies published to date on the topic that refutes the concern to something that may only be temporary in nature.

The authors of these reports have acknowledged that the cause of temporary infertility in male patients infected by the virus could be due to other factors. This includes the medicines utilised during the treatment of the coronavirus as one of the primary factors.

That said, the dataset shows possible differences in the quality of sperm between male patients suffering from fever and those who are healthy. Moreover, male patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were in a lot of cases overweight or obese and were part of ongoing therapeutic treatments.

Moreover, it is an established fact that obesity has been known to reduce sperm quality. Therefore, what can be assumed is that the treatments for Covid-19 may have impacted the quality of sperm in infected men rather than the disease itself.

That said, long term studies need to investigate this further to ascertain if the testes for male patients infected with the virus were in fact a high-risk organ or not.

How Worried Should You Be About Fertility If You’ve Been Infected?

At the moment the 14 published studies have determined that the effects of the coronavirus on male fertility to be temporary in nature. These studies have worked with small sample sizes and are mainly observational by design. Moreover, follow-up studies are yet to find out if the effects are reversible or long term.

That said, many patients have reported experiencing severe systemic infections at the time of analysis. The time of analysis is still short as there is much to be investigated and evaluated on the factors that may cause make infertility issues other than the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Some of the studies also cite that the symptoms of infertility may be related to psychosocial stress, depression and isolation that comes with being infected with the virus or by extension the impact of a global shutdown. Other experts have brought to light the effect of hydroxychloroquine and antivirals which are medications with known side effects of impacting sperm quality.

What About the Fertility Effects of The Vaccines?

Other than the issue of the negative impact on male fertility of infected male patients, a key point of concern in relation to taking the coronavirus vaccine is simultaneously being investigated. A University of Miami study assessed semen samples from healthy males prior to them being vaccinated with the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 70 days post the second dose.

The outcome of the analysis revealed that were was no significant difference in the sperm parameters. Hence, there is no tangible evidence that proves that fertility in men is impacted by taking the coronavirus vaccine.

What is the Bottom Line?

By now, we all know that the coronavirus is a life-threatening condition and may have a long term impact on the overall health of the infected patient. That said, there is no conclusive evidence yet that points to male patients being at higher risk of infertility as a result of being infected with the virus.

However, if you are facing male fertility issues then it is recommended that you consult with a fertility specialist near you.

Need a Recommendation to Find your Perfect Fertility Doctor?

If you are looking for an IVF clinic in Hyderabad, be sure to take a look at MotherToBe, a well-known fertility centre that is headed by Lead Clinician Dr Vyjayanthi. As Director of the clinic and an experienced fertility specialist, she is one of the very few in India to have earned a sub-specialty accreditation in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK.

Assisted by a team of practised and senior clinicians and fertility specialists, Dr Vyjayanthi across her 18 years of practice has personally performed over 10,000 IVF cycles adhering to the highest standards of patient care whilst minimising the need for multiple rounds of IVF cycles.

With a long and positive reputation in this field, Dr Vyjayanthi and MotherToBe ensure that the experience of your IVF treatment is as worry-free as possible. Seek the counsel of Dr Vyjayanthi’s expert team for a personalised approach to your fertility condition. Let your journey to parenthood begin at one of India’s foremost fertility centers of excellence that can enhance the chances of success for your IVF procedure with an experienced clinical and embryology team.