Oops! According To German Researchers, COVID-19 Can Damage Men's Sperm Quality

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JAKARTA - Researchers from Justus Liebig Giessen University in Germany revealed that COVID-19 can interfere with sperm quality and can reduce male fertility.

In a study that was present in The journal Reproduction, researchers said that COVID-19 can increase sperm cell damage and trigger excessive stress which affects male fertility.

"These findings provide the first direct experimental evidence to reveal that the male reproductive system can be targeted and damaged by COVID-19," the researchers concluded as quoted by Channel News Asia, Saturday, January 30.

Researchers from the University of Justus Liebig Giessen, Behzad Hajizadeh Maleki and Bakhtyar Tartibian conducted a 60-day analysis of 84 men with COVID-19. Then, they compared the impact with 105 healthy men.

"This effect on sperm cells is associated with lower sperm quality and reduced fertility potential," Maleki said in a statement.

"Although these effects tend to improve over time, they remain significantly and abnormally higher in COVID-19 patients. The male reproductive system should be considered a susceptible pathway to COVID-19 infection and declared a high-risk organ by the World Health Organization. WHO, "added Maleki.

As a result, COVID-19 patients show a decrease in fertility levels. This is because COVID-19 causes patients to experience excessive stress, which can damage DNA and proteins in the body.

However, other experts commented that the research still needs to be continued. Moreover, the capacity of viruses to interfere with male fertility is not necessarily proven.

"Men shouldn't worry too much," said Alison Campbell, UK director of embryology at CARE Fertility Group.

"There is currently no definite evidence of long-term damage caused by COVID-19 to sperm or male reproductive potential," he told the London-based Science Media Center.