Background: COVID-19 global pandemic has affected more than 250 million people so far. Data regarding potential effects on reproduction are still limited. Our aim was to examine the effect of COVID-19 on post exposure IVF cycle parameters and obstetric outcomes of IVF-achieved pregnancies.The study contained two arms: a retrospective arm comparing IVF outcome parameters among patients exposed to COVID-19 having an IVF cycle within 3 months of exposure. Post COVID-19 cycle parameters were compared to previous cycles of the same individual, performed within one year of exposure. If not available, parameters were compared to non-exposed matched patients. Sperm parameters were compared before and after exposure. The second arm was prospective comparing pregnancy outcomes among IVF patients who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy, vs. those who did not. Results: The first arm included 120 cycle of which 60 were in exposed female patients and another 60 in either the same patients prior to exposure or matched non exposed patients. Generally, total FSH dose, cycle length, and ovarian response did not significantly differ across exposure groups: including peak serum estradiol, number of oocytes and endometrial thickness, fertilization rate and number of top-quality embryos, were similar between exposed and non-exposed cycles. In 11 of the cycles in which the female partner was exposed the male partner had been recently exposed as well. In these couples, sperm quality showed a significantly lower post-exposure concentration: 6.27million/ml vs. 16.5 (p= 0.008). Interviews conducted in 189 patients with IVF-achieved pregnancies: pregnancy loss was as well as other pregnancy related complications and hospital admissions did not differ between groups. Conclusion: IVF treatment parameters and IVF-achieved pregnancies appear to be unaffected by SARS-CoV-2 exposure and do not involve an excess risk. Sperm concentration seems to be compromised.
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