Is COVID Vaccine Anti-men?

We have heard a lot of questions when it comes to COVID-19, like, how does it affect me? How does it affect my kids? Can it harm my pregnancy? And most importantly, is it ever going to end? And interestingly, these questions and disbeliefs only got wilder as the vaccines came to our rescue across the world. From believing that vaccines can magnetize people to that, they have electronic chips for population surveillance. Primarily thanks to relentless misinformation that has been pumped in like clockwork, disappointedly by even some leading figures. One such incident happened last week when Nicki Minaj, a global pop star with nearly 160 million followers on her Instagram, posted that she couldn't attend an event. As she isn't vaccinated because one of her relatives got "swollen balls" after vaccination. This news took over the world's Google search trends like wildfire, as was expected. 

However, thanks to our scientists and doctors who have been working beside them since the beginning of this unforgettable pandemic. They have fervently dismissed any such claims, given elaborate explanations, and successfully demonstrated how vaccines are good for you and our only chance to ever get through this pandemic. But amidst all the hue and cry, one question has been left unanswered and has now strayed many into a wilderness of nonsensical beliefs and theories. And the question is, how does it affect men? Can it reduce my manliness? Will my sperms get pulverized? And most importantly- how does it affect my penis and my balls? Can I get swollen balls like Nicki Minaj's friend? Some of these questions might seem ridiculous and just absurd, but they still need to be answered.

Especially now when we see a surge of vaccine hesitancy that can undo all our efforts so far. And one doctor is leading the charge to dispel any such questions, which have some guys bothered. Dr. Baumgarten at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, has actively pursued research with his team in the department of urology reports that they did not find any evidence that the COVID vaccine can lead to any foreseeable harm in the male reproductive system, sperm formation, sexual performance or in any loss of virility. 

He says that his study, among few others, has shown no changes in sperm parameters when comparing patients before and after two doses of the COVID vaccine. He also went on to clarify other myths about the COVID vaccine affecting the anatomy of male genitalia, to which he replied that "again we have not seen any evidence of such an anomaly." 

To sum it all up, the answer is vaccines have been good for you ever since we were kids, and this one is no different. Dr. Baumgarten adds that such misinformation is growing over the Internet, and now it is up to people to do their due diligence before believing in such cacophony. 

Dr. Baumgarten, however, also reckons that it is not COVID vaccines but COVID infections that should worry vaccine deniers, especially the Delta variant, which is now ravaging most parts of the world. There have been cases of severe erectile dysfunction in a minority of patients after being infected with COVID. In addition, there might be a decrease in sperm production which certainly can lead to infertility. Many studies have shown that the virus can be present in the testes for up to three months, even after the resolution of COVID symptoms and up to nine months after recovering from COVID. 

Take-home point- Get vaccinated, everyone! 

Reference: 

• Erbay, G., Sanli, A., Turel, H., Yavuz, U., Erdogan, A., Karabakan, M., Yaris, M. and Gultekin, M.H. (2021), Short-term effects of COVID-19 on semen parameters: A multicenter study of 69 cases. Andrology, 9: 1060-1065. 

•  Dr. Baumgarten's profile: Department of Urology, University of Alabama, Birmingham.