Coronavirus warning: Disease can impact male fertility, study says

Males who contract coronavirus may have something more to worry about as new research showed that the dreaded disease could create a negative impact on male fertility.

A study titled "Histopathology and Ultrastructural Findings of Fatal COVID-19 Infections on Testis," published in the World Journal of Men's Health carried out by researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine revealed that COVID-19 can adversely impact male fertility as well as sexually transmitted diseases.

The researchers looked at the tissues derived from the autopsy of six men. All of them died from COVID-19. What surprised researchers was that they found out the virus was in the testicles of these men. Aside from the dead men, the researchers also found that one 28-year-old patient who exhibited no symptoms had coronavirus and that the virus was also in his testicles.

Dr Ranjith Ramasamy, director of reproductive urology at the Miller School, explained that the man underwent a testes biopsy for infertility. The man had a bout with COVID-19 before and while he may have already recovered from the disease, the virus was still found in the testes. Despite testing negative for COVID-19, it was only through the testes biopsy that it was discovered that the virus was in his testes.

The study also sought to find out how much of the virus would be needed in order for it to be present inside the testicles and eventually be transmitted sexually. More studies are needed for the medical field to fully understand how coronavirus affects the tissues in the testes.

Dr Ramasamy was "fairly certain" that just like mumps, 20 to 30 percent of men may find their fertility affected sometime in the future. He suggested that men who had COVID-19 must see a urologist especially if they experience some sort of testicular pain.

He noted that pain in the testes together with other symptoms could denote that COVID-19 may have entered the testes. Men who are worried about their fertility or having low testosterone must see their general practitioner and get their testosterone levels tested. He recommends that men must have a semen analysis and have their sperm parameters evaluated as well.

Coronavirus And Male Fertility