Effects of SARS CoV-2, COVID-19, and its vaccines on male sexual health and reproduction: where do we stand?

Lo, Sharon; Hsieh, Tung-Chin; Pastuszak, Alexander W.; Hotaling, James M.; Patel, Darshan P.

doi:10.1038/s41443-021-00483-y

Cited by 23 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…It is important to note that none of the studies reported the association of the COVID-19 vaccine with male and female reproductive health. There have been concerns among the public about the impact of vaccines on sperm and infertility, mainly driven by vocal conspiracy theorists [33]. Lifshitz et al investigated the impact of the Pfizer vaccine on the semen analysis parameters and found these parameters within the normal limit among vaccinated men, strengthening the notion that Pfizer's vaccine is safe among males [34].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surveillance of Post-Vaccination Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines among Saudi Population: A Real-World Estimation of Safety Profile

Alzarea

Khan²,

Alatawi³

et al. 2022

Vaccines

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Vaccines are considered to be the most beneficial means for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Although vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have demonstrated excellent safety profiles in clinical trials, real-world surveillance of post-vaccination side effects is an impetus. The study investigates the short-term side effects following the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted among the general population with age ≥ 18 years, from five regions (Central, Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Regions) of Saudi Arabia for a period of 6 months (July to December 2021). A self-administered study instrument was used to record the side effects among the COVID-19 vaccine recipients. Of the total 398 participants (males: 59%), 56.3% received Pfizer and 43.7% were vaccinated with AstraZeneca. Only 22.6% of respondents received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. The most commonly reported side effects were pain at the injection site (85.2%), fatigue (61.8%), bone or joint pain (54.0%), and fever (42.5%). The average side effects score was 3.4 ± 2.2. Females, young people, and Oxford-AstraZeneca recipients had a higher proportion of side effects. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine recipients complained more about fever (p < 0.001), bone and joint pain (p < 0.001), fatigue (p < 0.001), loss of appetite (p = 0.001), headache (p = 0.008), and drowsiness (p = 0.003). The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinees had more pain and swelling at the injection site (p = 0.001), and sexual disturbance (p = 0.019). The study participants also reported some rare symptoms (<10%) including heaviness, sleep disturbance, fainting, blurred vision, palpitations, osteomalacia, and inability to concentrate. This study revealed that both Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca administration was associated with mild to moderate, transient, short-lived side effects. These symptoms corroborate the results of phase 3 clinical trials of these vaccines. The results could be used to inform people about the likelihood of side effects based on their demographics and the type of vaccine administered. The study reported some rare symptoms that require further validation through more pharmacovigilance or qualitative studies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surveillance of Post-Vaccination Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines among Saudi Population: A Real-World Estimation of Safety Profile

Alzarea

Khan²,

Alatawi³

et al. 2022

Vaccines

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“…While a recent study found that the incidence of urologic AEFIs following administration of the BNT162b2 vaccine was 0.7%, erectile impairment was not among these events [ 15 ]. To date, the impact of the vaccines on fertility, sperm production, or sexual function has not been assessed or compared across vaccines [ 16 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active Safety Surveillance of Four Types of COVID-19 Vaccines: A National Study from Jordan

et al. 2022

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Background Although the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2), Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19), Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV), and Sputnik V coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have been granted emergency approval in many nations, their safety has never been studied and compared in one community-based study. This study aimed to investigate and compare the incidence, nature, severity, and predictors of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) with COVID-19 vaccines. Method This was a prospective observational study conducted in Jordan between 1 January and 21 September 2021. A team of pharmacists and nurses ( n = 407) collected the local and systemic AEFIs of four COVID-19 vaccines by prospectively contacting participants registered in the national vaccination program platform. A red-flag technology was inserted to classify and track rare and serious AEFIs. Results This study included 658,428 participants who were vaccinated with 1,032,430 doses; 610,591, 279,606, 140,843, and 1390 participants received the first and second doses of the BNT162b2, BBIBP-CorV, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, and Sputnik V vaccines, respectively. The overall incidence of AEFIs was 28.8%, and the overall rates of systemic, local, and immediate hypersensitivity AEFIs were 22.2%, 18.8%, and 0.5%, respectively. The highest proportions of immediate hypersensitivity AEFIs and systemic AEFIs were reported after administration of the Sputnik V vaccine and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 first dose, respectively. The most severe AEFIs were reported after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 first dose and BNT162b2 second dose. The hospitalization and mortality rates after vaccination were 20 in 10,000 and 1 in 10,000, respectively. Based on red-flag tracking, the top three outcome events were lymphadenopathy (157.9/100,000), anxiety disorders (136.6/100,000), and lower respiratory tract infection (100.9/100,000), with Guillain-Barré syndrome (1.8/100,000), vasculitis (3.0/100,000), and myopericarditis (4.8/100,000) being the least common. Conclusion The incidence rates of local, systemic, and immediate hypersensitivity AEFIs of four COVID-19 vaccines occur frequently. High incidence rates of rare and serious AEFIs were reported in this study. Younger participants, females, those who had previously had COVID-19, and smokers were more likely to encounter AEFIs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40261-022-01191-1.

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“…Conflicting results regarding the impact of COVID-19 infection on semen quality have been reported ( 137 ). As ACE2 is expressed in spermatogonia and Sertoli and Leydig cells ( 138 ), there was concern about the fact that the virus could affect male fertility.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Original studies included about 500 semen analyses from men infected with SARS-CoV-2, and some alterations were found in approximatively one third of cases, especially in patients with severe COVID-19 ( 138 ). Hence, these findings elicited some concern also about the possible role of COVID-19 vaccination on male fertility ( 137 , 139 ). However, according to the published data, overall, no significant adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines on male fertility have been reported so far, and no detrimental effect on both semen quality and fertility outcomes were observed in healthy donors ( 93 , 95 , 98 , 99 , 101 ), infertile men ( 94 , 96 ) and couples undergoing assisted reproduction treatments ( 103 , 104 ) or trying to conceive naturally ( 106 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endocrine system after 2 years of COVID-19 vaccines: A narrative review of the literature

et al. 2022

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PurposeThe purpose of this study was to describe the current knowledge on the potential endocrine adverse effects post-COVID-19 vaccines.MethodsA PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus research was performed. Case reports, case series, original studies, and reviews written in English and published online up to 31 July 2022 were selected and reviewed. The final reference list was defined based on the relevance of each paper to the scope of this review.ResultsThe available data showed that endocrine side effects are generally rare and with favorable outcome, being thyroid disorders the most common. Conversely, data on type 1 diabetes mellitus are rare; adrenal and pituitary events are even anecdotal. Finally, the available clinical studies suggest no impact on female reproductive system and on male and couple fertility.ConclusionOverall, these data show that, after 2 years of COVID-19 vaccines, the endocrine system is not heavily threatened.

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Effects of SARS CoV-2, COVID-19, and its vaccines on male sexual health and reproduction: where do we stand?

Cited by 23 publications

References 60 publications

Surveillance of Post-Vaccination Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines among Saudi Population: A Real-World Estimation of Safety Profile

Surveillance of Post-Vaccination Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines among Saudi Population: A Real-World Estimation of Safety Profile

Active Safety Surveillance of Four Types of COVID-19 Vaccines: A National Study from Jordan

Endocrine system after 2 years of COVID-19 vaccines: A narrative review of the literature

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