COVID-19 and Semen Fluid Parameters, a Retrospective Study from Infertility Clinics

Abstract

The study of the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or vaccination on semen fluid analysis (SFA) parameters is still incomplete. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of COVID-19 infection and vaccination on sperm parameters for a sample of individuals visiting multi-infertility clinics in Jordan. SFA records were collected retrospectively between September and November 2021 and analyzed using Jamovi software (version 2.2.5 for Windows); p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Sperm concentration, progressive motility, normal morphology, and semen liquefaction time, volume, and viscosity were compared among two data categories. In the first category of data, SFA records from 354 participants were separated into four groups: only vaccinated, infected and vaccinated, neither infected nor vaccinated, and only infected. In the other category, SFA from 49 subjects before their infection and/or vaccination and after were classified into the same mentioned groups and analyzed. There were no statistically significant differences between the studied parameters in the SFA records in the first data category and the second. Nevertheless, the sperm concentration was higher among vaccinated subjects compared to unvaccinated ones (p = 0.04). It is concluded that SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccines have no negative effects on SFA parameters.