ANSWERED: Does COVID-19 Impact Sexual Health?

A Compilation of Medical Research (25 Studies)

When the mass infection of unvaccinated young people (who generally enjoy having sex) with a new SARS-CoV-2 virus was proposed by certain voices in 2020, none of them warned that COVID-19, a multi-system vascular disease, could have negative impacts on their sexual health. Another great example of why we have the Precautionary Principle of Public Health, many are now suffering serious reproductive health issues they were not warned about. This is yet another reason of why you should continue to protect yourself from COVID-19 with layered mitigations.

As a side note, it’s worth noting that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who is a major conduit for COVID-19 disinformation and frequently worries about the fertility of teenage boys, doesn’t think the virus he championed is somehow responsible for this problem. How truly pathetic!

This resource will continue to be updated regularly.

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• COVID Infects Penis, Testicles and Prostate – Causes Pain, Erectile Dysfunction, Reduced Sperm Count (SciTechDaily)

• The impact of COVID-19 on the male reproductive system (JBRA Assisted Reproduction)

• Structural and Hormonal Changes in Reproductive-Age Women Post-COVID-19 (Diagnostics)

Erectile Dysfunction

• Tip of the iceberg: erectile dysfunction and COVID-19 (International Journal of Impotence Research, Nature)

• “COVID-19 infection was associated with a 27% increased likelihood of subsequent ED” (International Journal of Impotence Research)

• Increased odds ratio for erectile dysfunction in COVID-19 patients (Journal of Endocrinol Investigations)

• “We found that the prevalence of ED was higher in the past history of COVID-19 cohort (55.9% vs. 44.1%)” (Journal of Clinical Medicine)

• “1 in 5 men surveyed had erectile dysfunction up to 2 years after COVID” (Nature Scientific Reports)

Long COVID

• Long COVID syndrome: psychological and sexual dysfunction among survivors of COVID-19 infection (Annals of Medicine & Surgery)

• “COVID-19 infection is associated with impaired sexual function in cisgender women…women with long COVID experienced incrementally more impaired sexual function” (Journal of Sexual Medicine)

• Female reproductive health impacts of Long COVID and associated illnesses including ME/CFS, POTS, and connective tissue disorders: a literature review (Frontiers Rehabilitation)

• SARS-COV-2 Persistence in Semen as a Window to Study Long COVID (Journal of Urology)

Ovaries & Menstruation

• “Case reports suggest that COVID-19 infection may be associated with long-term decline of ovarian health, including premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), a loss of normal ovary function before age 40.” (Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences)

• COVID-19 and persistent symptoms: implications for polycystic ovary syndrome and its management (Frontiers Endocrinology)

• “Women have reported menstrual changes following SARS-CoV-2 infection and variation in long COVID symptoms across the menstrual cycle.” (Nature Communications)

Semen & Sperm

• Semen proteomics reveals alterations in fertility-related proteins post-recovery from COVID-19 (Frontiers in Physiology)

• “SARS-CoV-2 infection primarily affects male fertility, leading to reductions in sperm quality, count, and motility.”

• Men experience a long-term drop in semen quality after COVID infection – even if the infection was mild (European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology)

• “Although severe acute syndrome coronavirus 2 was not present in the infected men’s semen, it was intracellularly present in the spermatozoa till 3 months after hospital discharge.” (Wiley Online Library)

• Semen proteomics reveals alterations in fertility-related proteins post-recovery from COVID-19 (Frontiers)

• COVID-19 infection was associated with poor sperm quality (Nature Scientific Reports)

Testicles

• Testicular pathological alterations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection (Frontiers in Reproductive Health)

• “…testicular damage following COVID-19-induced orchitis” (International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine)

• “SARS-CoV-2 infects [interstitial cells of the testes], activates its immune response and impairs steroidogenesis” (Sec. Molecular Viral Pathogenesis)

• “SARS-CoV-2 can affect the whole testicular function” (Andrology)

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While the relationship between COVID-19 and sexual health isn’t studied as heavily as it’s impacts on the brain and heart, it’s certainly worth being aware of. If you find guides like this supportive, please consider taking out a paid subscription or making a one-time donation in order to keep the Pandemic Accountability Index going!

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