covid-19 may raise risk of erectile dysfunction
the team discovered the virus could enter the testes, raising concerns about male fertility and the sexual transmission of covid-19.
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two studies are making the connection between covid-19 infections and poor penile health.
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erectile dysfunction may be an unpleasant side effect having covid-19, according to a pair of studies that has researchers warning men to “mask up to keep it up.”
the first study, conducted at the university of miami and published in the world journal of men’s health, found that covid-19 can persist in the penis, preventing men from achieving an erection long after they recover from the virus. infection can lead to endothelial dysfunction — a condition that occurs when small blood vessels no longer tend to tissue properly — causing penile damage and, eventually, erectile dysfunction (ed).
“our research shows that covid-19 can cause widespread endothelial dysfunction in organ systems beyond the lungs and kidneys,” said ranjith ramasamy, one of the authors of the study and associate professor and director of the miller school’s reproductive urology program. “the underlying endothelial dysfunction that happens because of covid-19 can enter the endothelial cells and affect many organs, including the penis.
“in our pilot study, we found that men who previously did not complain of erectile dysfunction developed pretty severe erectile dysfunction after the onset of covid-19 infection,” he said.
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the researchers collected penile tissue from two men who had previously been infected with covid-19 — one who required hospitalization and one with only mild symptoms — before undergoing prosthesis surgery for ed. they also received samples from two men who had not contracted the virus before undergoing the same procedure for ed. they detected the presence of the virus in the two men who had contracted covid-19 — despite their infections occurring six and eight months prior, respectively — but not in the men with no history of the virus. endothelial dysfunction was only present in the men who had contracted covid-19.
“this suggests that men who develop covid-19 infection should be aware that erectile dysfunction could be an adverse effect of the virus, and they should go to a physician if they develop ed symptoms,” ramasamy said.
the more widespread the covid infection, and the subsequent endothelial dysfunction, the more likely the chances of developing ed may be, according to the study. previous work by ramasamy and his team discovered the virus was able to enter the testis of some patients, raising concerns about male fertility and the potential for sexual transmission of covid-19 that will be a vital focus of future research.
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the second study, published in the journal andrology, relied on an online survey of just under 7,000 people in italy to conclude that the odds of experiencing ed were almost six times higher in men with a self-reported covid-19 infection. the average age of participants was 33.
“it’s a two-way association: if you have erectile dysfunction, you are more likely to have covid-19, and conversely … people who have had covid-19 seem to have a greater chance of developing erectile dysfunction,” said luc valiquette, a urologist at the centre hospitalier de l’université de montréal and a professor in the department of surgery at the université de montréal.
the issue is not as easy to detect as other symptoms, valiquette said. “problems with taste or smell are immediate. people notice it right away. people who are in the hospital in intensive care, or when they’re on a ventilator, they don’t talk about their erectile dysfunction problem because they’re not in a situation where they’re going to notice it.”
it is possible, valiquette said, that men with ed are simply at an increased risk of contracting covid-19 as the risk factors for the condition — smoking, obesity and high blood pressure — are the same for the virus. he said it’s also possible that six months from now we will be talking about how covid causes long-lasting erectile damage. either way, he recommends taking every precaution possible to prevent finding out first-hand — a message echoed by other researchers.
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“these latest findings are yet another reason that we should all do our best to avoid covid-19,” said eliyahu kresch, first author of the first study and one of ramasamy’s medical students. “we recommend vaccination and to try to stay safe in general.”
dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
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