Everyone knows that coming down with COVID-19 can make you sick, but new evidence shows that men who had moderate or serious COVID-19 infections could also find their fertility impaired for an unknown amount of time.
An analysis of more than 40 studies from various countries reveals that the number of sperm per milliliter, total volume of ejaculate, and motility (movement) of sperm declined an average of 50% in men tested a month after diagnosis with moderate or serious Covid-19, while the fertility of men with mild cases generally was unaffected.
Israeli physician Dr. Dan Aderka, head of the GI Cancer Service and GI Cancer Biology and Immunotherapy Program at Sheba Medical Center, drew his conclusions after reviewing published literature on the connection between COVID-19 and sperm quality. He now plans to conduct a study of his own.
“We don’t know yet if these effects of Covid-19 are reversible,” Aderka said. However, it is well known that other coronaviruses can cause male infertility. For example, mumps can cause testicular atrophy and a drop in sperm count in an estimated 1 in 10 men who get infected.
For patients concerned about their fertility, he advises that doctors should consider monitoring the sperm of recovered male patients for several months.
Source: Israel 21c October 11, 2020