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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 36(11)

The short-term effect of COVID-19 infection history on semen parameters in men referred to infertility centres

Negar Osatd-Rahim A B , Fatemeh Ghorbani A , Mahsa Jalali C , Fatemeh Karimi D , Alireza Ebrahimzade-bideskan A and Sareh Karimi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8938-4749 A E *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

B Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

C Armaghan Infertility and IVF Center, Armaghan Clinic, Mashhad, Iran.

D Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.

E Infertility Ward, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

* Correspondence to: Karimisareh@yahoo.com

Handling Editor: Mark Baker

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 36, RD24008 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD24008
Submitted: 6 February 2024  Accepted: 4 June 2024  Published online: 5 July 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic became a threat to human health and induced global concern. The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes various disorders in the body’s systems, and the reproductive system is no exception. Further, the rate of infertile couples is increasing and part of this is related to male infertility.

Aims

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 infection history on semen quality in men referred to public and private infertility centres.

Methods

In this research, patients were divided into two groups: 88 men with a history of COVID-19 (Covid+) and 51 men without (Covid−). After semen collection, sperm parameters, fertilisation rate and oxidative stress were investigated.

Key results

Sperms with normal morphology and mature chromatin in patients with COVID-19 infection history decreased, and seminal oxidative stress and sperm DNA fragmentation were increased; moreover, the fertilisation rate in the Covid+ group decreased in compare to the Covid− group.

Conclusion

COVID-19 infection increases oxidative stress in the semen, so has a negative effect on some sperm parameters and fertilisation rate.

Implications

COVID-19 infection impairs semen quality by increasing in oxidative stress, thus reducing the fertility potential.

Keywords: COVID-19, DNA fragmentation index, fertilisation rate, infertility, oxidative stress, pandemic, semen, sperm parameters.

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