Effects of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) vaccination on male sexual function: a narrative review

Efectos de la vacunación contra la enfermedad por coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) en la función sexual masculina: una revisión narrativa

Recent reports suggest that the coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) may negatively affect male sexual function. This evidence, together with the perplexity that has arisen in the population due to the need to vaccinate many people in a short time to face pandemic emergency, has also raised questions about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines regarding sexual function. The present narrative review aims to evaluate main evidence regarding the effects of vaccination on classical and advanced seminal parameters, erectile function, and sex hormones. Many studies supported by systematic reviews and meta-analyses have evaluated the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on sperm parameters and fertility, discovering no significant impact. The effects of vaccination on erectile function have been evaluated in only a few studies with some methodological limitations. However, no significant negative impact was found, and in one study, an improvement of sexual function following vaccination was actually observed. Regarding sex hormones, only a few sporadic cases of pituitary apoplexy and hypophysitis with involvement of the gonadal axis have been reported, which mainly occurred in patients with known pituitary lesions. The effects of COVID-19 vaccination on male sexual function appear minimal and of little clinical impact. Concerns that have arisen regarding the safety of the vaccine due to its rapid development in an emergency context, therefore, do not seem to be scientifically supported by the evidence that is currently available.

Resumen

Informes recientes sugieren que la enfermedad infecciosa por coronavirus (COVID-19) puede afectar negativamente a la función sexual masculina. Estas pruebas, junto con la perplejidad que ha surgido en la población debido a la necesidad de vacunar a muchas personas en poco tiempo para hacer frente a una emergencia pandémica, plantearon preguntas sobre la seguridad de las vacunas contra el COVID-19 también con respecto a la función sexual. La presente revisión narrativa tiene como objetivo evaluar las principales pruebas relativas a los efectos de la vacunación sobre los parámetros seminales clásicos y avanzados, la función eréctil y las hormonas sexuales. Muchos estudios respaldados por revisiones sistemáticas y metanálisis evaluaron el impacto de la vacunación COVID-19 sobre los parámetros espermáticos y la fertilidad sin descubrir ningún impacto significativo. Los efectos de la vacunación sobre la función eréctil se evaluaron en pocos estudios con algunas limitaciones metodológicas. Sin embargo, no se encontró ningún impacto negativo significativo, y en un estudio incluso se observó una mejora de la función sexual tras la vacunación. En cuanto a las hormonas sexuales, sólo se han descrito unos pocos casos esporádicos de apoplejía hipofisaria e hipofisitis con afectación del eje gonadal, que se produjeron principalmente en pacientes con lesiones hipofisarias conocidas. Los efectos de la vacunación COVID-19 sobre la función sexual masculina parecen mínimos y de escasa repercusión clínica. Por lo tanto, las preocupaciones que han surgido con respecto a la seguridad de la vacuna debido a su rápido desarrollo en un contexto de emergencia no parecen estar respaldadas científicamente por las pruebas disponibles.

Vaccine; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Seminal parameters; Erectile function; Sex hormones; Fertility

Palabras Clave

Vacuna; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Parámetros seminales; Función eréctil; Hormonas sexuales; Fertilidad

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