Is COVID-19 affecting fertility rates?

The pandemic’s untold fertility story

Long COVID is snuffing out some patients’ dreams of having children, sharpening the pain of loss, grief and medical neglect.

Emerging evidence suggests long COVID can affect women’s menstrual cycles, ovarian health and fertility, while studies of related and overlapping conditions like ME/CFS, POTS and connective tissue disorders show female patients experience higher rates of menstrual cycle changes, ovarian dysfunction, uterine fibroids and other issues. 

SARS-CoV-2 may also affect male fertility, with one small study finding men who were infected with the virus had temporarily lower sperm numbers and concentration and others highlighting the potential risk of erectile dysfunction.

Sperm study recommends quarantine after COVID-19

Brazilian researchers have discovered the COVID-19 virus in sperm up to 3 months after infection, which they say should make people think carefully about the time babies might be conceived.

Study: Sperm counts decline even after mild COVID infections

“We assumed that semen quality would improve once new sperm were being generated, but this was not the case. We do not know how long it might take for semen quality to be restored and it may be the case that COVID has caused permanent damage, even in men who suffered only a mild infection” 

Erectile dysfunction after COVID-19 recovery: A follow-up study

“Our study showed a high ED prevalence during the third month of recovery from COVID-19.”

The placental pathology in Coronavirus disease 2019 infected mothers and its impact on pregnancy outcome – ScienceDirect

In a study of 170 women who delivered after a confirmed Covid infection, 50% had placental abnormalities.

These were found to be associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, including a significantly higher number of stillbirths (17% vs. 4%) that could not be explained by other risk factors. Babies who survived had lower Apgar scores (a basic measure of the baby’s health at birth).