COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction: fact or fiction?

Sep 27, 2021 1:00 PM

When COVID-19 took the world by storm in early 2020, scientists immediately began to work diligently to understand the disease and its short- and long-term effects on overall health.

While there is still a lot to learn, early studies have shown that about 30% of patients with COVID-19 will continue to show symptoms after their recovery. Symptoms of this disease – called “long COVID” – include symptoms of the disease itself: fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain, chest pain, etc. And researchers at the University of Utah Health and around the world continue to study other ways COVID-19 can impact patients in the long term, namely erectile dysfunction in men.

Urological surgeon Dr. Jim Hotaling, MD, MS, FECSM helps educate patients and the community about the existence of a correlation between COVID and erectile dysfunction. Hotaling – a leading expert in male infertility in the Intermountain West – is the director of the Men’s Health Clinic at the University of Utah Health.

In March 2020, he published an article – the first of its kind – which explored whether the COVID-19 virus was found in semen. “We found out that the virus does not appear in semen,” Hotaling said. “There are more studies going on across the country, and so far the results are the same.” And while research does not show that COVID-19 affects the testes or sperm in the long term, it’s important to remember that certain illnesses can impact sperm count in the short term.

“Generally speaking, when men recover from COVID-19, their sperm count and hormone levels all appear to be normal,” Hotaling said. “The only caveat here is that any illness accompanied by fever impacts sperm count for 60 to 70 days.”

Although some articles online claim that COVID-19 actually causes erectile dysfunction, Hotaling offers a caveat and advice when reviewing the data.

“Some studies are underway with very small sample sizes,” Hotaling said. “So while these may show a correlation between COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction, it’s important to look at all of the variables before drawing a conclusion.”

And one important variable in the fight for more information on COVID-19 is one that cannot be rushed: time. Hotaling and her team plan to use every minute to help find more answers.

“There are plans to continue research on this topic, and we also want to see if there are any consequences for the offspring of males with COVID-19,” Hotaling said. “I am delighted to continue to find answers for patients across the country and the world. “

To learn more about the U of U Health Men’s Health Clinic, visit Healthcare.utah.edu/menshealth/.

For more information on COVID-19, visit Healthcare.utah.edu/coronavirus/.