Israeli researchers at Sheba Medical Center found in a new study that males who suffer from moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 could experience reduced fertility.
Principal investigator Dr. Dan Aderka reported there was a 50 percent decrease in sperm volume, concentration and motility in patients who had moderate coronavirus, as long as 30 days post-diagnosis.
In addition, the virus was found within the sperm of at least 13 percent of screened male COVID-19 patients. Moreover, researchers found moderate to severe changes in the testicular cells that support sperm development, and those which produce testosterone, in postmortem tests carried out on 12 COVID-19 patients. Testosterone is the male hormone that prompts the sperm to divide and multiply.
“As normal sperm maturation takes 70 to 75 days, it is possible that if we are doing a sperm examination two and a half months after recovery, we may see even more reduced fertility,” Aderka told The Jerusalem Post. “It could be even more detrimental.”
Aderka said his team is planning to continue the research with patient follow-up six months and a year after recovery from the virus to determine whether the damage is temporary or permanent.