Corona and Reproduction, or Why the Corona Vaccination Does Not Result in Infertility

Abstract

Background As the COVID-19 pandemic persists and new vaccines are developed, concerns among the general public are growing that both infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and vaccinations against the coronavirus (mRNA vaccines) could lead to infertility or higher miscarriage rates. These fears are voiced particularly often by young adults of reproductive age. This review summarizes the current data on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and corona vaccinations on female and male fertility, based on both animal models and human data. Method A systematic literature search (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science) was carried out using the search terms “COVID 19, SARS-CoV-2, fertility, semen, sperm, oocyte, male fertility, female fertility, infertility”. After the search, original articles published between October 2019 and October 2021 were selected and reviewed. Results Despite the use of very high vaccine doses in animal models, no negative impacts on fertility, the course of pregnancy, or fetal development were detected. In humans, no SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in the oocytes/follicular fluid of infected women; similarly, no differences with regard to pregnancy rates or percentages of healthy children were found between persons who had recovered from the disease, vaccinated persons, and controls. Vaccination also had no impact on live-birth rates after assisted reproductive treatment. No viral RNA was detected in the semen of the majority of infected or still infectious men; however, a significant deterioration of semen parameters was found during semen analysis, especially after severe viral disease. None of the studies found that corona vaccines had any impact on male fertility. Discussion Neither the animal models nor the human data presented in recent studies provide any indications that fertility decreases after being vaccinated against coronavirus. However, there is a growing body of evidence that severe SARS-CoV-2 infection has a negative impact on male fertility and there is clear evidence of an increased risk of complications among pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The counseling offered to young adults should therefore take their fears and concerns seriously as well as providing a structured discussion of the current data.

Endocrine system after 2 years of COVID-19 vaccines: A narrative review of the literature

“…Conflicting results regarding the impact of COVID-19 infection on semen quality have been reported ( 137 ). As ACE2 is expressed in spermatogonia and Sertoli and Leydig cells ( 138 ), there was concern about the fact that the virus could affect male fertility. Original studies included about 500 semen analyses from men infected with SARS-CoV-2, and some alterations were found in approximatively one third of cases, especially in patients with severe COVID-19 ( 138 ).…”

COVID-19 and Perinatal Stress Experience – a Study Conducted as Part of the COVGEN Initiative

“…It should be emphasized that these two previous studies were published at the beginning of 2020, at a time when less was known about COVID-19, the disease characteristics, the course of disease and the approval of vaccines could not yet be estimated. We now know that the transplacental infection of the fetus is rather a rare event and that the vaccination of pregnant women is classified as safe 31 32 33 . In addition, the prevalence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the context of a pregnancy was low during the study period 34 .…”

“…Zulassung von Impfstoffen noch nicht eingeschätzt werden konnte. Mittlerweile ist bekannt, dass die transplazentare Infektion des Fetus eher selten ist und die Impfung schwangerer Frauen wird als sicher eingestuft 31 32 33 . Zudem war die Prävalenz einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion im Rahmen einer Schwangerschaft im Untersuchungszeitraum gering 34 .…”

“…▪ nein (n = 366) 4 [31,32,33]. Zudem war die Prävalenz einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion im Rahmen einer Schwangerschaft im Untersuchungszeitraum gering [34].…”

Corona: Impfung und Schwangerschaftsverlauf

“…Auch wenn eine fragebogenbasierte Registerstudie in Großbritannien an über 3000 schwangeren Frauen – bei allerdings geringem Evidenzlevel – ein erhöhtes Abortrisiko bei einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion im ersten Trimenon mit einem relativen Risiko von 1,7 (Konfidenzintervall 1,0–3,0) vermuten lässt [ 4 ], hat sich dies in anderen Analysen nicht bestätigt [ 16 , 29 ], ebenso wenig wie eine erhöhte Rate an fetalen Fehlbildungen [ 28 ]. Allerdings kann die Infektion im ersten Trimester eine Früh- oder Totgeburt zur Folge haben [ 25 ].…”