Background: COVID-19 is a pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome.
By the end of November 2022, numbers issued by the WHO indicate that over 600 million persons were infected by the
disease and more than 6 million deaths occurred due to it.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate sexual functions in freshly recovered COVID-19 male patients.
Patients and Methods: A case-control study was undertaken on two groups of age-matched males: Group 1: 120 men one
month after recovering from COVID-19 infection, and Group 2: 120 normal men as a control group. All subjects underwent
a thorough clinical examination and full history taking. The 15-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) was
used to assess sexual functions. Total testosterone and prolactin levels in the blood were evaluated..
Results: Cases compared with controls exhibited significantly greater prolactin (19.9±13.9, 7.7±4.4, respectively,
P < 0.001) and much lower testosterone levels (3.91 ± 2.31, 5.04 ± 2.22, respectively, P < 0.001), and their mean
erectile function (EF) was significantly lower(22.5±3.7, 25.8±2.7, respectively, P < 0.001). EF 14-25 was present in the
majority of the cases (n=83, 69.2%), with only two cases having EF less than 14. When compared to the control group,
cases had significantly reduced mean orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, total sexual satisfaction,
and overall IEF.
Conclusion: COVID-19 infection has a negative impact on male sexual functions.