By Ranjith Ramasamy - The Conversation
Contrary to the myths circulating on social media
, coronavirus vaccines do not cause erectile dysfunction or male infertility.
What is certain is that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, poses
a risk of causing both disorders.
[Follow our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic]
Little research has been done so far on how the coronavirus or COVID-19 vaccines affect the male reproductive system.
But recent studies by doctors and researchers here at the University of Miami have shed new light on these questions.
The team, which includes me, has discovered potentially far-reaching implications for men of all ages,
including the very young and middle-aged who want to have children.
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Even a mild case of the virus can cause dysfunction
I am the Director of the Reproductive Urology Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
My colleagues and I analyzed autopsy tissues from the testicles of six men who died of COVID-19 infection.
The result: the virus appeared in the tissues of one of the men and there was a decrease in the number of sperm in three of them.
Another patient, who survived, underwent a testicular biopsy about three months after his initial infection cleared - the test
showed that the coronavirus was still in his testicles.
[No, the COVID-19 vaccine does not cause infertility in women]
Our team also discovered that COVID-19 affects the penis.
An analysis of reproductive organ tissue from two men who received implants showed that the virus was present seven to nine months after their COVID-19 diagnosis.
Both men had developed severe erectile dysfunction, probably because the infection caused a reduction in the blood supply to the penis.
One of them had only mild COVID-19 symptoms.
The other, on the other hand, had been hospitalized.
That suggests that even those with
a relatively mild case of infection can experience severe ED
after recovery.
These findings are not entirely surprising.
After all, scientists know that
other viruses invade the testes and affect sperm production and fertility.
A couple wearing face masks walk along the beach during a heat wave as the coronavirus outbreak continues, in Pacific Palisades, California, August 19, 2020. Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
One example: Researchers studying the testicular tissues of six patients who died from the 2006 SARS-CoV virus found that they all had widespread cell destruction, with little or no sperm.
Mumps and Zika viruses are also known to enter the testicles and cause inflammation.
Up to 20% of men infected with these viruses will have poor sperm production.
A new study on vaccine safety
But further research from my team also brought good news.
A study of 45 men showed that the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna appear
safe for the male reproductive system.
This, then, is another reason to get vaccinated: to
preserve male fertility and sexual function.
[It is false that the COVID-19 vaccine causes male infertility, as some Latino men believe]
Of course, the research is only a first step on how COVID-19 could affect male sexual health;
the samples were small.
More studies must be done.
Still, for men who have had COVID-19 and then experienced testicular pain, it
is reasonable to consider that the virus has invaded testicular tissue.
Erectile dysfunction can be a result.
Those men should see a urologist.
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I also believe that the research presents an urgent public health message to the United States regarding COVID-19 vaccines.
For the
millions of men across the country who remain unvaccinated, they
may want to rethink the consequences if this very aggressive virus crosses their path.
One reason why many are hesitant about vaccinations is the perception that COVID-19 injections could affect male fertility.
Our research shows otherwise.
There is no evidence that the vaccine harms a man's reproductive system.
But skipping the vaccine and getting COVID-19 may very well be.
Ranjith Ramasamy is a professor of urology at the University of Miami.
