SynthesisAndrology2021
COVID-19 and male reproduction: Current research and unknown factors.
Synthesis in Andrology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Update on andrological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19: An overview review.Andrology · 2025Review
- Vulnerability of The Male Reproductive System to SARS-CoV-2 Invasion: Potential Role for The Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone Grp78/HSPA5/BiP.Cell journal · 2022Article
- Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination and infertility treatment outcomes.Fertility and sterility · 2022Article
- Metabolic, Oxidative and Psychological Stress as Mediators of the Effect of COVID-19 on Male Infertility: A Literature Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
- Oocyte Retrieval in Asymptomatic Patients Positive for SARS-CoV-2.Case reports in obstetrics and gynecology · 2022Article
- Orchiepididymitis in the context of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a child with Covid-19 from Syria: a very rare presentation for SARS-Cov-19 in children.Oxford medical case reports · 2021Article
- Serum Albumin Levels are a Predictor of COVID-19 Patient Prognosis: Evidence from a Single Cohort in Chongqing, China.International journal of general medicine · 2021Article
- The impact of COVID-19 on the male reproductive tract and fertility: A systematic review.Arab journal of urology · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe testes are suspected target organs of SARS-CoV-2. However, the results of studies on the effect of COVID-19 on male reproduction are controversial.
objectiveTo summarize current research on the effects of COVID-19 on male reproduction.
methodsA systematic review of English literature was performed using PubMed and Ovid Embase up to 18 August 2020. Research articles on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen, the effects of the virus on semen parameters and any pathological changes in the testes were evaluated.
resultsFourteen studies were included in this review. Six of 176 survivors (3.4%) and 1 of 13 decedents (7.7%) in 2 of 12 studies were positive for viral RNA in semen and testicular tissue, respectively. After stratification of patient groups, we found that the virus was detected in the relatively early stage of infection, 6-16 days after disease onset, in semen from survivors. Two of 3 studies reported that some participants had substandard semen quality after COVID-19, and 1 study found that COVID-19 may impair semen quality in a severity-related manner. Pathological analyses showed that injuries to the seminiferous tubule occurred in all decedents (N = 11). Another study found that orchitic and testis fibrin microthrombi occurred in patients with fatal disease (100%, N = 2). Scrotal discomfort of orchiepididymitis or spermatic cord inflammation has also been reported in COVID-19 patients.
conclusionCurrent studies suggest that semen is rarely considered a carrier of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material during the infection period but not in the semen of recovered patients. Fatal COVID-19 may cause testicular structure damage without the presence of virus.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.