The ranges of Covid-19 affect economic and daily life since 2020. Besides the classical symptoms of Covid-19 such as fever and upper respiratory, research also shows that the virus can attack other organs. For example, attacking the central nerve system which causes the loss of taste, the brain system which causes meningitis and psychological symptoms(ex. depression and schizophrenia), the vascular system which causes vasculitis and thrombosis, etc. Though the death rate of Covid-19 is much lower than SARS and MERS, the potential negative effect can not be underestimated. Nevertheless, the influence of fertility is one of the most popular issues nowadays. This article summarized relevant clinical searches that discuss the fertility of male and female before and after getting Covid-19.
Male: Does getting Covid-19 affect the quality of sperm?
Well-known journals from American and England which called《Fertility and Sterility》and《Human reproduction》both published that total count, activity and morphology may become worse after getting Covid-19.
However, the research team found the quality of sperm declines after infection will gradually improve over time (Usually 3 months after getting Covid-19 on average).
Scientists assume this is because the formation of sperm will last around 72-75 days. Preliminary results show the impact of sperm after Covid-19 is short-term. However, whether some extreme cases cause permanent damage still need more evidence.
Female: Does getting Covid-19 affect hormones that are related to fertility?
When it comes to the research about females, scientists focus on the changes of hormones after getting covid-19.
Reproductive hormones such as AMH(Anti-Mullerian Hormone), FSH(Follicle-Stimulating Hormone), LH(Luteinizing Hormone) and E2(Estrogen) showed no differences between the infectious and non-infectious group in the research.
Whether Covid-19 affects IVF treatment?
IVF is a complex treatment with multiple-stages which include ovum pick-up(OPU), fertilization and embryo transfer. Infected and non-infected women showed no significant differences in the number of eggs retrieved, fertilized eggs and embryos formed in previous studies. Besides,the pregnancy rate also shows no significant difference.
Are vaccinations harmful to fertility?
The range of Covid-19 brings serious impact. Many people get vaccinated to avoid infection. Therefore, many people question whether vaccinations may be harmful to fertility or not.
Researchers recruited 106 male at the age between 36-42 who vaccinated Moderna or BioNTech or AstraZeneca. They analyzed the sperm before and after getting vaccinated. Results showed no differences in the volume, total count, concentration, activity and morphology. In sum, getting vaccinated won’t affect the quality and quantity of sperm.
On the female side, the top ten medical centers in the world test 129 females. They test their AMH(Anti-Mullerian Hormone) level 3 months before and after vaccination. Results showed no significant differences before and after vaccination. Moreover, other well known medical institutions also did similar research and got the same data.
Research not only studies the impact on male and female fertility but also the impact on IVF treatment. Results showed that there’s no significant differences before and after vaccination in the rate of mature eggs, fertility, and embryos formation.
Base on the result above, preliminary conclusions can be drawn：
- Getting Covid-19 has a short-term negative effect on the quality of sperm, fortunately, this usually can recover 2-3 months later.
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Negative effects haven’t been found in the fertility of females who got Covid-19.
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Getting Covid-19 hasn’t been found to have negative effects in IVF treatment.
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The vaccinations haven’t been found to have negative effects on fertility.
However, relative research and resources about Covid-19 are limited. We still need more evidence to prove the conclusions above.
Reference:
Ata, Baris et al. “SARS-CoV-2, fertility and assisted reproduction.” Human reproduction update, dmac037. 14 Nov. 2022, doi:10.1093/humupd/dmac037
