By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay reporter
THURSDAY, May 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Men now have another compelling reason to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Doctors suspect the new coronavirus could make bedroom performance difficult.
How? Coronavirus infection is already known to damage blood vessels, and vessels that supply blood to the penis seem no exception.
Researchers armed with an electron microscope found coronavirus particles in penile tissue samples from two ex-COVID-19 patients who became impotent after their infection, which occurred six and eight months earlier.
Further studies found evidence of damage to blood vessels in the penis of COVID-19 patients compared to two other men with erectile dysfunction who had never been infected, the researchers reported May 7 in the World Journal of Men’s Health.
“We found that the virus infects the blood vessels that supply the penis and causes erectile dysfunction,” said lead researcher Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the reproductive urology program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “The blood vessels themselves do not work properly and cannot supply enough blood to get to the penis for an erection.”
Ramasamy compared this to organ damage in the lungs, kidneys and brain found in COVID-19 patients.
“We believe the penis could be affected in a similar way,” said Ramasamy. “We don’t think this is a temporary effect. We think this could be permanent.”
The new report focused on two recovered COVID-19 patients who had to undergo penile prosthesis because of their erectile dysfunction. Both men had normal erectile function prior to their infections.
One of the men was seriously ill with COVID-19 and spent two weeks in the hospital before recovering, but was otherwise free of any chronic health problems.
The other man had a relatively mild case of COVID-19 but suffered from clogged arteries and high blood pressure before he became infected.
Both men still had COVID-19 particles in the penile tissue as well as evidence of endothelial dysfunction – a condition in which the linings of small blood vessels do not function properly and do not provide adequate blood supply to various parts of the body.
continuation
In comparison, two COVID-free men who also had erectile dysfunction surgery had no evidence of the same type of small blood vessel damage in their penis.
“I think that’s probably not something men argue about right now with all the things going on,” Ramasamy said. “I’m pretty sure in the next six months to a year we will likely get a better sense of the true prevalence of erectile dysfunction in COVID-positive men.”
It makes sense that COVID-19 could affect men this way, as the virus can cause inflammation and damage blood vessels, said Dr. Ash Tewari, Chair of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine on Mount Sinai in New York City.
However, Tewari cautioned men shouldn’t panic until further investigation is done.
“One or two patients aren’t making a fact, but we think it’s worth investigating,” said Tewari. “COVID is an endothelial dysfunction. The small arteries of the heart can be affected as well as the penile blood vessels.”
Ramasamy urged former COVID-19 patients now suffering from erectile dysfunction to seek medical help.
“Don’t think this is something that will go away on its own. We think this could be a long-lasting rather than a temporary effect,” Ramasamy said.
There is one more piece of advice for men who are concerned about this.
“Don’t get COVID. Get vaccinated so you don’t get COVID,” Ramasamy said.
More information
The Cleveland Clinic has more information on COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction.
SOURCES: Ranjith Ramasamy, Director, Reproductive Urology Program, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami; Ash Tewari, MD, Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City; World Journal of Men’s Health, May 7, 2021, online
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