Some individuals are afraid of vaccination due to incorrect rumors that have circulated alongside its emergence, including claims that the vaccine contributes to erectile dysfunction and male infertility. However, a recent study revealed that the opposite is true. The spread of the COVID vaccine was accompanied by numerous rumors, including the assertion that vaccination against the virus could lead to infertility. Although this is not true, a recent scientific study has shown that, in fact, vaccination against COVID, particularly with the booster dose, increases fertility in men by stimulating the body to increase sperm counts, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network.
The study conducted by the University of Miami found numerous scientific connections indicating that the virus can harm fertility. In certain cases, damage to the testes and erectile dysfunction were among the effects associated with viral infection in male patients. The study showed that vaccination against COVID-19 helped to increase sperm counts in vaccinated men. Researchers compared samples taken from 45 men aged between 18 and 50 who were previously tested for fertility issues. Sperm samples were collected from these individuals before they received the first dose, and similar samples were taken 70 days after receiving the second dose. The researchers examined the sperm samples to determine their concentration, motility, and total count.
Some were vaccinated with the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, while others received the Moderna vaccine. Results indicated there was no significant difference in vaccine interaction with sperm, except for one point: eight participants who had a low sperm count before vaccination showed a significant increase in sperm count after vaccination. Additionally, tests showed no contamination or decline in sperm quality, suggesting that vaccination—especially the booster (third) dose—has a clear association with increased fertility, according to the German news site NTV, which reported on the study.
Thus, experiments clearly demonstrate that vaccination has no negative impact on fertility; in fact, the opposite is true. It remains unclear whether the vaccine also improves sperm quality since the notable increase in sperm count could also be tied to the fact that tested individuals abstained from sexual activity for a longer period before the second sample. Study author Rangith Ramasamy, Director of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at the University of Miami, stated, "We found no changes in sperm parameters in healthy men we studied who received the two doses of the DNA-based COVID vaccine."
A scientific study published in the journal Andrology confirmed that men who recovered from COVID-19 have a six-fold increased risk of erectile dysfunction—and in rare cases, infertility—compared to their condition before infection. The study did not evaluate other vaccines such as Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.
