Do the Covid‑19 Vaccines Affect the Reproductive Parameters of Men?—A Northern Saudi Experience

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is a psychological behavior influenced by many factors, including fear of an adverse effect on the  reproductive system.

Aims: The aim of this study is to assess the COVID‑19 vaccines effect on reproductive parameters among the male population of northern Saudi Arabia.

Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study among 100 volunteers who received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. A pre- and post- vaccination blood sample was collected and analyzed for testosterone, prolactin, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Semen samples were also collected and analyzed. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the values between pre- and post-vaccination.

Results: Of the 100 samples analyzed, there was a significant increase in progressive sperm motility after the second dose of vaccination, but the increase was within the  physiological limits (pre-55.03 [42.00–61.75] vs. post-57.50 [42.25–63.00], P = 0.008). Similarly, a significant increase in serum testosterone level after the  second vaccination dose was observed (pre-380.65 [301.60–485.73] vs. post-410 [318.18–505.35], P = 0.016).

Conclusion: These preliminary results show  that the COVID-19 vaccines do not have any adverse effect on the reproductive parameters of men. A prospective long-term follow-up study will be  necessary on all WHO -approved COVID vaccines to determine their long‑term effect on men’s reproductive health. The future follow‑up study could  strengthen our findings and encourage the men who have vaccine hesitancy to take due to fear of its effect on reproductive parameters.