A new study found that SARS-CoV-2 can be present in tissues of the penis, even long after recovering from the infection and may affect the function of blood vessels, leading to ED.
For the first time, a study reports that SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent behind COVID-19, can be present in penile tissue, potentially causing or worsening erectile dysfunction (ED), up to eight months after infection. Furthermore, the study links the presence of the virus to widespread blood vessel or endothelial dysfunction, where the lining of small blood vessels does not function normally, potentially damaging the associated tissue.
The study, published earlier this month on the World Journal of Men’s Health, was led by Ranjith Ramasamy, M.D., associate professor and director of the Miller School’s Reproductive Urology Program, at the University of Miami, in Florida, USA.
“Our research shows that COVID-19 can cause widespread endothelial dysfunction in organ systems beyond the lungs and kidneys. The underlying endothelial dysfunction that happens because of COVID-19 can enter the endothelial cells and affect many organs, including the penis,” said Dr Ramasamy in a press release.
About the study
To reach their conclusions, researchers collected and analysed penile tissue from two men who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, who also went through penile prosthesis surgery for ED. One of these two men required hospitalisation, while the other only developed mild symptoms. As a control, researchers also collected and analysed penile tissue from two men, with no history of COVID-19 infection, but who also had gone through the same surgical procedure for ED.
After analysing all tissues for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and for endothelial dysfunction, researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 was present only in the penile tissue of both men infected with a history of COVID-19 infection and these men showed evidence of endothelial dysfunction. The two men with no history of COVID-19 infection didn’t show any signs of endothelial dysfunction.
“This suggests that men who develop COVID-19 infection should be aware that erectile dysfunction could be an adverse effect of the virus, and they should go to a physician if they develop ED symptoms,” Dr. Ramasamy said.
These new findings add to a previous report by the same author, showing that SARS-CoV-2 invades the testicular tissue of some men infected by COVID-19, potentially affecting fertility and raising the possibility that COVID-19 could be transmitted sexually.
In a previously published study, Dr. Ramasamy and Miller School colleagues found that COVID-19 can also invade testis tissue in some men who are infected with the virus, which might be the first step in understanding the virus’s potential impact on male fertility and whether COVID-19 can be sexually transmitted.
“These latest findings are yet another reason that we should all do our best to avoid COVID-19,” said first author Eliyahu Kresch, a medical student working with Dr. Ramasamy, in a press release.
“We recommend vaccination and to try to stay safe in general,” Kresch added.