Pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has dramatically changed the human everyday lifestyle and impacted the quality of life. After recovery from the viral infection, reconvalescents often suffer postponed complications in different organs and systems. Recently, numerous reports have been published on post-COVID-19 effects on semen quality and male fertility. The aim of present study is to analyze contemporary publications dedicated to the influence of Coronavirus disease 2019 and anti-COVID-19 vaccination on semen parameters. 28 latest articles from SCOPUS database published in 2021-2024 have been analyzed. All researchers came to a conclusion about harmful influence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on semen volume, total sperm count, concentration, motility/viability and DNA fragmentation. Downregulation of specific proteins responsible for normal male fertility has been registered. Some authors did not find the statistical correlation between COVID-19 onset and semen volume, concentration and progressive sperm motility. All of them agree that the specified changes in sperm parameters are temporary with tendency to normalization over time. Accordingly to analyzed papers, the terms of semen restoring may vary from 3 months and beyond. Hence, there is strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to worsening of semen quality thereby may damage male reproductive function. Gradual restoration of semen parameters has been registered with different terms to normalization. There is no confirmation of harmful effects of anti-COVID-19 vaccines on the semen quality.
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Nikitin et al. (2024) studied this question.
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