COVID-19 and male fertility: short- and long-term impacts of asymptomatic vs. symptomatic infection on male reproductive potential

Studies exploring the effect of COVID-19 on male reproductive system suggest a detrimental association, however with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to assess the association between COVID-19 infection and male reproductive potential including hormone profiles and semen parameters. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in reproductive health 2024-05, Vol.6, p.1403143
Main Authors: Majzoub, Ahmad, Khalafalla, Kareim, Arafa, Mohamed, El Ansari, Walid, Nair, Arun, Al Bishawi, Ahmad, Saleh, Mulham, Khair Ella, Mohamed, ElBardisi, Haitham, Khattab, Muhammad Abu, AlRumaihi, Khalid
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
COVID 19
male fertility
Reproductive Health
reproductive hormones
SARS-CoV-2
semen quality
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Summary:Studies exploring the effect of COVID-19 on male reproductive system suggest a detrimental association, however with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to assess the association between COVID-19 infection and male reproductive potential including hormone profiles and semen parameters. This prospective cohort study included 48 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Patients were subdivided into an asymptomatic group (  = 30) and a group with COVID-19 symptoms (  = 18). Serum hormone levels including testosterone, LH, FSH and estradiol were collected during active infection (baseline, time 0), and at 3 and 6 months following COVID-19 infection. Semen samples (basic semen analysis and oxidation reduction potential) were examined at 3 and 6 months following infection. Student and paired-t tests were used to compare continuous variables between the study groups and across the studied time intervals, respectively. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore predictors for COVID-19 symptoms during active infection. Patients with COVID-19 symptoms were significantly older (  = 0.02) and had significantly lower serum testosterone levels (  = 0.01) and significantly higher LH: testosterone ratio (  = 0.01) than asymptomatic patients. Multivariate analysis revealed older age (OR =  1.18,  = 0.03) and lower serum testosterone level (OR = 0.8,  = 0.03) as independent predictors of symptomatic COVID-19 infection. Significant increase in testosterone (  
ISSN:2673-3153
2673-3153
DOI:10.3389/frph.2024.1403143