Covid infection could cause erectile dysfunction, according to expert
Covid infection is known to cause damage to a number of body parts particularly the respiratory system, known as long Covid.
The impact of the disease has also been seen in a number of people who even after infection recovery are still struggling with a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and memory problems.
For men, an added worry could be how a Covid infection might affect their penis – possibly causing erectile dysfunction (ED) or even shortening its length.
Some men who have survived Covid-19 say that the virus may have impacted their ability to get or maintain an erection – but is there any truth to that?
Is there a link between Covid-19 and erectile dysfunction?
Currently, there are a handful of anecdotal reports, but no hard data nor large-scale study that documents the link, if any, between Covid-19 and erectile dysfunction.
But for the men experiencing such issues, they’re convinced that the erectile dysfunction was caused by the novel coronavirus, because they never had issues with arousal or performance during sex prior to contracting the virus.
Equally, figuring out the cause of erectile dysfunction would be challenging as there are so many potential causes.
Is there a link between Covid-19 and penis length?
In a new short video on her channel, urologist and YouTuber Dr Rena Malik further discusses the possible link between having Covid and noticing a decrease in penis length.
“When you get Covid-19 it can affect the lining of the blood vessels and this can create difficulty in getting blood flow from one part of the body to the other,” she claimed.
“In fact, this can also affect blood flow getting to the penis. Getting Covid makes you five times more at risk of getting of getting erectile dysfunction.
“When you are losing blood flow to the area overtime this can cause shrinkage of the tissues itself meaning you may notice a decrease in penis length."
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Erectile dysfunction: This popular sport could be “crushing your bits”
One study published in the World’s Journal of Men’s Health further investigated whether a Covid infection could cause erectile dysfunction.
Penile tissue was collected from patients undergoing surgery for penile prosthesis for severe ED.
Specimens were obtained from two men with a history of Covid-19 infection and two men with no history of infection.
“Our study is the first to demonstrate the presence of the Covid-19 virus in the penis long after the initial infection in humans,” concluded the research.
It added: “Our results also suggest that widespread endothelial cell dysfunction from Covid-19 infection can contribute to ED.”
A Covid infection is known to damage blood vessels which supply blood to other parts of the body so it would make sense that the penis appears to be no exception.
“Researchers armed with an electron microscope found coronavirus particles in penile tissue samples taken from two former COVID-19 patients who became impotent following their infection, which had occurred six and eight months earlier,” says WebMD.
"We found that the virus affects the blood vessels that supply the penis, causing erectile dysfunction," added Dr Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the reproductive urology program.
"The blood vessels themselves malfunction and are not able to provide enough blood to enter the penis for an erection."
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