The common Covid symptom that ‘can cause your testicles to swell and lead to infertility’, experts warn
ONE of the most common Covid symptoms could lead to male infertility, a study has found.
Men suffering with a high fever after catching coronavirus may find they struggle with fertility problems later on.
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A study has warned a high fever could result in testicle damage[/caption]Experts have warned in a recent study a temperature has been known to cause damaging swelling in men’s testicles.
The three main symptoms of Covid to watch out for are a fever, a new continuous cough and a loss of taste or smell. A high temperature is usually considered to be 38C or above.
And some men who battled a high temperature with coronavirus have later been found to have testicle tissue damage.
Scientists have revealed evidence Covid-19 could have significant fertility implications, in a study lead by Assam University and published by the Royal Society.
The study says: “This may pose a global threat to male fertility potential, as men are more prone to SARS-CoV-2 infection than women, especially those of reproductive age.
“These are still early days for understanding the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on male fertility due to the lack of sufficient short and long-term studies.
“However, emerging evidence indicates the possibility of testicular damage due to SARS CoV-2 infection, which in turn may compromise the fertility potential of such men.
“High fever associated with SARS-CoV infection might add up to the cause of developing orchitis followed by testicular dysfunction.”
‘GLOBAL THREAT’
The report also touched on the effect of a drug used to treat Covid, Ribavirin, on male fertility.
It is used across the board for patients suffering with a range of viruses, but has been found to cause sperm abnormalities when given to rats.
The animals were noted to have a lower concentration of testosterone after taking Ribavirin, with it seemingly having a negative effect on the production of sperm.
Last year we told how coronavirus could be passed on during sex.
Researchers claim that men who had recovered from the infection still had Covid-19 in their semen.
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Experts suggested men should consider abstaining from lovemaking or use a condom to help halt the spread.
Chinese scientists analysed the output of 38 patients who had caught the illness – 15 who were still in hospital and 23 who had recovered.
Overall six men, or 16 per cent, had the virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus, in their sperm sample – and two of them were already over their illness.