SARS-CoV-2 Infection Drops Testosterone Levels

Testicular Impact from COVID-19 worth Evaluating in Men Struggling after Infection

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH

I see patients with post-acute sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination in my office on a daily basis. At times men have indicated that sex drive is lower and ability to maintain an erection has diminished with their long-COVID syndrome.

Karkin and Gurlin reported on 348 patients from a urology clinic where they had measurements of testosterone secreted by the testes and its principal controlling signal, luteinizing hormone from the pituitary. The results before and after infection were dramatic—a markedly lower testosterone level and an elevated LH. This means the testicles were probably damaged by the infection—particularly those with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Karkin K, Gürlen G. Does COVID-19 cause testicular damage? A cross-sectional study comparing hormonal parameters. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2022 May;26(10):3745-3750. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202205_28871. PMID: 35647857.

Several other prospective cohort and case-control studies listed below have reported the same observations. Testosterone levels can be suppressed for 3-12 months. This is called external validity or generalizability and means this is almost certainly happening in large numbers of men who have suffered COVID-19 pneumonia.

The implication of this paper is that doctors should have a low threshold to screen for male testicular failure in long-COVID and consider hormonal supplementation to improve symptoms while the problem is being handled by McCullough Protocol Base Spike Detoxification.

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Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH

President, McCullough Foundation

www.mcculloughfnd.org

Karkin K, Gürlen G. Does COVID-19 cause testicular damage? A cross-sectional study comparing hormonal parameters. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2022 May;26(10):3745-3750. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202205_28871. PMID: 35647857.

Prasad A, Rashmi KG, Sahoo J, Kamalanathan S, Wyawahare M, Anusuya R, Naik D. Male Hypogonadism After Recovery from Acute COVID-19 Infection: A Prospective Observational Study. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2023 Dec 4. doi: 10.1055/a-2201-8816. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38049105.

Capogrosso P, Bertini A, Pontillo M, Ferrara AM, Cotelessa A, Carenzi C, Ramirez GA, Tresoldi C, Locatelli M, Castagna A, De Cobelli F, Tresoldi M, Zangrillo A, Landoni G, Rovere-Querini P, Ciceri F, Montorsi F, Monti G, Salonia A. Is SARS-CoV-2-induced disease a decisive factor influencing testosterone in males? Findings from a case-control ex post facto study. Andrology. 2023 Nov 20. doi: 10.1111/andr.13558. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37987031.

Hulscher N, Procter BC, Wynn C, McCullough PA. Clinical Approach to Post-acute Sequelae After COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination. Cureus. 2023 Nov 21;15(11):e49204. doi: 10.7759/cureus.49204. PMID: 38024037; PMCID: PMC10663976.