{"id":10993,"date":"2022-05-12T19:52:30","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T19:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/?p=10993"},"modified":"2023-06-14T13:43:03","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T13:43:03","slug":"ivermectin-and-male-fertility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/resources\/ivermectin-and-male-fertility\/","title":{"rendered":"Ivermectin and male fertility"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the course of the pandemic, you\u2019ve likely heard of the medication ivermectin as a potential treatment for COVID-19. You may also have read that ivermectin causes low sperm counts. But what is ivermectin, can it really help against COVID-19, and can it truly affect your sperm count or fertility? We\u2019ll explore each of these questions below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ivermectin is an effective medication for parasitic infections, but it&#8217;s not an effective treatment for COVID-19.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There&#8217;s no good evidence to suggest that ivermectin will affect male fertility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>COVID-19 has been shown to have months-long impacts on sperm health, along with its other known effects \u2014 and the best protection is vaccination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is ivermectin?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ivermectin is an antiparasitic medication that\u2019s used in people and animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For people, ivermectin tablets are used to treat conditions caused by parasites, such as onchocerciasis (river blindness) and intestinal strongyloidiasis (threadworm infection). Ivermectin can also be used topically to treat head lice, scabies, and rosacea (a skin condition that can cause facial redness, acne, and dry eyes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In animals, on the other hand, ivermectin is used to treat certain parasites and to prevent heartworm disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to be aware that forms and doses of ivermectin are different for animals and people. Veterinary forms of ivermectin tend to be more concentrated and can include ingredients that may be unsafe for humans. Ivermectin is only safe when it\u2019s used as prescribed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ivermectin paralyzes and kills worm larvae in the body. Since it doesn\u2019t kill adult worms, repeated doses may be needed to treat infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ivermectin for COVID-19?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During the pandemic, some people touted ivermectin as a way to prevent and\/or treat COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior research has examined ivermectin\u2019s antiviral activity in vitro (in the lab), prompting the idea that the medication may also work against the coronavirus. But it\u2019s important to remember that many things that kill viruses in a petri dish in a lab setting won\u2019t <em>actually<\/em> work in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, while ivermectin has shown in vitro activity against viruses including HIV and zika virus, studies haven\u2019t found it to be effective when taken in vivo, or in the body, by people who actually have these viruses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And ivermectin doesn\u2019t appear to successfully treat COVID-19, either. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19\">US Food &amp; Drug Administration<\/a> (FDA), there\u2019s currently no good data to show that ivermectin is effective against the disease. While the FDA has authorized the emergency use of some treatments for COVID-19, this list does not include ivermectin. (Ivermectin <em>is<\/em> FDA-approved for the aforementioned parasitic infections, for which it is an effective treatment.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/feature-stories\/detail\/who-advises-that-ivermectin-only-be-used-to-treat-covid-19-within-clinical-trials\">World Health Organization<\/a> (WHO) also advises against using ivermectin for COVID-19 outside of clinical trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent research backs up these policies. Although some studies have shown benefits from treatment with ivermectin, many of these studies used a small sample size or poor study design, making it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cochranelibrary.com\/cdsr\/doi\/10.1002\/14651858.CD015017.pub2\/full\">2021 review<\/a> of 14 studies found that the available evidence didn\u2019t support using ivermectin for COVID-19. And an even more recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa2115869\">study<\/a> of 3,515 patients indicated that early treatment with ivermectin did not help reduce hospital admissions from COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can using ivermectin affect male fertility?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2021, some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/victoriaforster\/2021\/09\/10\/does-taking-ivermectin-cause-male-infertility-and-sterilization\/\">news articles<\/a> reported that ivermectin resulted in male infertility and linked ivermectin to low sperm counts. This led people to wonder about the medication\u2019s potential impact on fertility, even in legitimate uses (like for parasitic infection).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As it turns out, there\u2019s no good evidence to suggest ivermectin will significantly affect male fertility. Here\u2019s the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of the new articles published in 2021 cited a small <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com\/articles\/effects-of-ivermectin-therapy-on-the-sperm-functions-of-nigerian-onchocerciasis-patients.pdf\">2011 study<\/a> that found reduced sperm parameters in participants who took ivermectin for 11 months. Specifically, the study identified significantly lower sperm counts and motility <em>and<\/em> a significantly higher number of abnormal sperm cells in this group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, out of an original group of 385 patients who were diagnosed with onchocerciasis (a disease caused by a parasitic worm), the study included <em>only<\/em> 37 participants after excluding those with very low sperm counts. The low sperm counts prevalent in the original patient group suggest that reductions in fertility may have resulted from the parasitic disease, rather than from taking ivermectin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also didn\u2019t include a control group to help indicate whether the study outcomes were caused by ivermectin or by another factor. Overall, this was a small and not very reliable study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What does other research say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An animal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1382668908000550\">study<\/a> found that rats taking ivermectin along with verapamil, a blood pressure medication, had slightly impaired sperm cell production. However, other <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32725937\/\">research<\/a> has separately linked verapamil to reduced sperm parameters in rats. The FDA notes that ivermectin alone given to rats, even at triple the recommended dose, did not impact their fertility<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, there\u2019s not enough evidence to currently suggest a significant effect of ivermectin on male fertility. The FDA does not include warnings about infertility on the medication\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/drugsatfda_docs\/label\/2008\/050742s022lbl.pdf\">drug label<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While ivermectin is unlikely to affect male fertility, it may cause other side effects, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>dizziness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>skin rash<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>nausea<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>diarrhea<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>weakness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>chest pain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>shaking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to follow your doctor\u2019s instructions for medications. If you\u2019re prescribed ivermectin for a legitimate use, like parasites, make sure to take all the doses you\u2019re given. This may include taking the medication again in several months to make sure you clear the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Risks of improper use of ivermectin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite limited evidence demonstrating ivermectin\u2019s effectiveness against COVID-19, prescriptions for the medication have risen significantly during the pandemic. Compared to a pre-pandemic baseline of less than 4,000 prescriptions dispensed on average per week, pharmacies dispensed <a href=\"https:\/\/emergency.cdc.gov\/han\/2021\/pdf\/CDC_HAN_449.pdf\">39,000 ivermectin prescriptions<\/a> in one week in January 2021. During a week in August 2021, prescriptions reached 88,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because you may be able to obtain ivermectin doesn\u2019t mean you should take it. Using ivermectin without having a diagnosed parasitic infection \u2014 and in particular, taking ivermectin meant for animals \u2014 can endanger your health. In August 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/emergency.cdc.gov\/han\/2021\/pdf\/CDC_HAN_449.pdf\">health advisory<\/a> warning of increased calls to poison control centers related to ivermectin overdoses. Some people who have self-medicated with ivermectin have been hospitalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/covid-19-vaccine-male-fertility-sperm-health-after-covid-1024x341.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1941\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">COVID-19 and male fertility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When taken without a prescription or without an FDA-approved use, ivermectin is likely more harmful for your overall health than for your fertility, specifically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The medication also doesn\u2019t appear to help cure COVID-19, a disease that actually <em>can<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/givelegacy.com\/resources\/covid-19-male-fertility\/\">affect male fertility<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1134\/S0006297921040015\">Research<\/a> indicates that COVID-19 can infect and damage the testicles, potentially resulting in orchitis, an inflammation of the testicle that may lead to infertility. Damage caused by COVID-19 may also lead to lower testosterone levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fever during the course of the disease may harm sperm production as well. One <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7256599\/\">study<\/a> found that semen parameters worsened after moderate infection with COVID-19, showing the disease\u2019s concrete effects on fertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/aje\/advance-article\/doi\/10.1093\/aje\/kwac011\/6511811?login=false\">study<\/a> of over 2800 couples found that, in couples in which the male partner got COVID, the couple was less likely to conceive for 2+ months post-recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The best way to prevent COVID-19 and protect your fertility: vaccination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The best option to prevent severe COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/resources\/will-the-covid-19-vaccine-affect-male-fertility\/\">COVID-19 vaccines don\u2019t reduce male fertility<\/a>, with recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbmojournal.com\/article\/S1472-6483(22)00041-4\/fulltext\">research<\/a> indicating that the vaccines have no effect on semen parameters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since vaccines don\u2019t impair fertility \u2014 but do protect against COVID-19, which can have a negative effect \u2014 preventing COVID-19 with a vaccine is the best way to preserve your fertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re concerned about contracting COVID-19 and potentially harming your sperm, Legacy also offers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/sperm-freezing\/\">sperm freezing<\/a> to preserve your fertility into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is ivermectin, can it really help against COVID-19, and can it truly affect your sperm count or fertility?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":10995,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"%%post_title%% %%sep%% %%sitetitle%%","_seopress_titles_desc":"What is ivermectin, can it really help against COVID-19, and can ivermectin treatment affect your sperm count or male fertility?","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[178,18,210,35],"tags":[36,124,332,188,333],"class_list":["post-10993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-covid-19-understanding-male-health","category-improving-sperm-health","category-medical","category-understanding-male-health","tag-covid-19","tag-illness","tag-ivermectin","tag-medication","tag-parasites"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10993"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10993"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17540,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10993\/revisions\/17540"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}