PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If hospitalization and death weren’t enough to sway men to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a recent study found another reason: erectile dysfunction.
Some men who have had COVID-19 are finding that after recovery, they may experience lingering problems or develop new issues, including erectile dysfunction (ED).
For years, Dr. Joseph Katz, professor of oral medicine at the University of Florida College of Dentistry, has been studying the impact of oral disease on other medical conditions, like ED. When he looked at the data from men who have had the coronavirus, he found an alarming increase in intimacy issues.
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The study found that men who had COVID-19 are more than three times more likely to be diagnosed with ED than those who did not contract the virus.
The connection between COVID-19 and ED remained high when other factors were considered, including respiratory disease, obesity, diabetes and smoking.
“We still see that the risk of patients with COVID, after adjustment for cardiovascular disease, to develop ED was still high. It was almost 200% higher chance of having ED,” Katz added.
Notably, he said the numbers also show that vaccines reduce the risk of developing ED.
“It’s very clear to me when I look at the raw numbers — it’s very significant. So Pfizer would be 50% reduction in the ED prevalence. The other vaccine, Moderna, would be 30% reduction,” he said.
Katz noted it’s possible that the association between COVID-19 and ED is even stronger because men are often reluctant to talk about this issue, even with a doctor.
The study only looked at cases, so a direct cause for the correlation has not yet been established. More research is needed.