SynthesisJournal of assisted reproduction and genetics2022
SARS-CoV-2 effects on sperm parameters: a meta-analysis study.
Synthesis in Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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
25 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- SARS-CoV-2 impairs male fertility by targeting semen quality and testosterone level: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines on Sperm Quality: Systematic Review.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of COVID-19 vaccination on semen parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of medical virology · 2023Pooled it
- Environmental and microbiome determinants of sperm quality: a narrative review on male health.Translational andrology and urology · 2026Review
- Spatial localization of avian and human influenza A virus receptors in male and female bovine reproductive tissues.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Update on andrological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19: An overview review.Andrology · 2025Review
- Pregnancy and obstetric outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer with embryos generated from COVID‑19 infection during controlled ovarian stimulation: a retrospective study.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2025Article
- No association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and embryo chromosomal abnormalities: a prospective cohort study.Science China. Life sciences · 2025Article
- COVID-19 infection was associated with poor sperm quality: a cross-sectional and longitudinal clinical observation study.Scientific reports · 2025Observational
- Effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on sperm telomere length.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2025Article
- Ambient climatic conditions and semen quality: a comparative analysis across the periods before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Article
- Clinicopathological andCurrent medicinal chemistry · 2025Article
- The impact of COVID-19 on the male reproductive system.JBRA assisted reproduction · 2024Article
- SARS-CoV-2 in semen: a multicenter prospective study and literature review.Basic and clinical andrology · 2024Article
- Outcomes of female reproductive performance with assisted reproductive techniques after recent mild to moderate COVID-19 infections: An observational study.Clinical and experimental reproductive medicine · 2024Article
- Systematic analyses of the factors influencing sperm quality in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Effects of COVID-19 vaccination on human fertility: a post-pandemic literature review.Annals of medicine · 2023Review
- A Scientometric Evaluation of COVID-19 and Male Reproductive Research.Clinics and practice · 2023Article
- Persistent oligonecrozoospermia after asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. A case report and literature review.Heliyon · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 7 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimThe rapid outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed challenges across different medical fields, especially reproductive health, and gave rise to concerns regarding the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on male infertility, owing to the fact that the male reproductive system indicated to be extremely vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Only a small number of studies have investigated the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on male reproduction, but the results are not consistent. So, we performed this meta-analysis to draw a clearer picture and evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 on male reproductive system.
methodWe searched Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases to identify the potentially relevant studies. Standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was applied to assess the relationship. Heterogeneity testing, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias testing were also performed.
resultsA total of twelve studies including 7 case control investigations and 5 retrospective cohort studies were found relevant and chosen for our research. Our result showed that different sperm parameters including semen volume [SMD = - 0.27 (- 0.46, - 1.48) (p = 0.00)], sperm concentration [SMD = - 0.41 (- 0.67, - 0.15) (p = 0.002)], sperm count [SMD = - 0.30 (- 0.44, - 0.17) (p = 0.00)], sperm motility [SMD = - 0.66 (- 0.98, - 0.33) (p = 0.00)], and progressive motility [SMD = - 0.35 (- 0.61, - 0.08) (p = 0.01)] were negatively influenced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, sperm concentration (p = 0.07) and progressive motility (p = 0.61) were not found to be significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in case control studies. No publication bias was detected.
conclusionThe present study revealed the vulnerability of semen quality to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our data showed a strong association of different sperm parameters with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results suggested that SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients may negatively influence their fertility potential in a short-term period, but more studies are needed to decide about the long-term effects.
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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.