is covid-19 linked to erectile dysfunction?

if the risk of death isn’t enough to get people to mask-up during the pandemic, perhaps a threat to their sex lives will do the trick. that’s certainly the hope of dena grayson, an infectious diseases expert who caused a stir on social media friday by telling nbc 5 chicago that the lingering symptoms of covid-19 can include erectile dysfunction.

the so-called long-haul symptoms of covid-19 are continually being updated as the pool of infected people expands at a seemingly unstoppable pace, but erectile dysfunction has not yet risen to the level of other known consequences , such as brain fog, lung abnormalities and organ damage. while it’s just a matter of time until the full effects of the virus are known, the science so far, as documented in the journal for endocrinological investigation , should be a growing concern for at least half the population.

“despite being a trivial matter for patients in intensive care units, erectile dysfunction is a likely consequence of covid-19 for survivors, and considering the high transmissibility of the infection and the higher contagion rates among elderly men, a worrying phenomenon for a large part of affected patients,” a team of researchers concluded over the summer .

even if the virus doesn’t directly dampen a man’s spirits, the waves of stress the pandemic is producing might achieve the same result. “not being interested in sex during a global crisis is completely normal,” sarah melancon, a sociologist and clinical sexologist, told healthline . “survival stress sends the body into a state of fight or flight, so the only thing that matters is survival, not procreating.”

the libido isn’t helped by the fact that rolling lockdowns have made it more difficult for people to exercise or keep their dietary habits where they should be. couples may also be seeing a little too much of each other while in lockdown, something that can also take a toll on intimacy. fortunately for most, these effects are temporary and should fade once the pandemic is eventually in the rear-view mirror.

dave yasvinski is a writer with  healthing.ca

share story

share this story

is covid-19 linked to erectile dysfunction?

email

facebook

x

linkedin

copy story link