{"id":206257,"date":"2022-01-20T13:05:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T18:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=206257"},"modified":"2023-11-09T20:29:55","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T01:29:55","slug":"covid-19-vaccines-do-not-cause-infertility","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2022\/covid-19-vaccines-do-not-cause-infertility\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 Vaccines Do Not Cause Infertility"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin is-style-default has-media has-media-focus-center-middle\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"1703\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-scaled.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-636x423.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-755x502.jpg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-1503x1000.jpg 1503w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-1920x1277.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2022\/01\/vaccination-and-fertility-original-1-1200x798.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">reproductive health<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCOVID-19 Vaccines Do Not Cause Infertility\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">A new study has found that COVID-19 vaccination does not impair fertility\u2014but males who become infected by the coronavirus may experience short-term reduced fertility.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">January 20, 2022<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/jillian-mckoy\/\">Jillian McKoy<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>COVID-19 vaccination in either partner does not appear to affect fertility, according to new research led by School of Public Health (BUSPH) investigators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/aje\/kwac011\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Published in the <em>American Journal of Epidemiology<\/em><\/a>, the prospective study of couples trying to conceive found no association between COVID-19 vaccination and fecundability\u2014the probability of conception per menstrual cycle\u2014in female or male partners who received the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, the findings indicate that COVID-19 infection among males may temporarily reduce fertility\u2014an outcome that could be avoidable through vaccination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMany reproductive-aged individuals have cited concerns about fertility as a reason for remaining unvaccinated,\u201d says study lead author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/amelia-wesselink\/\">Amelia Wesselink<\/a>, research assistant professor of epidemiology at BUSPH. \u201cOur study shows for the first time that COVID-19 vaccination in either partner is unrelated to fertility among couples trying to conceive through intercourse. Time-to-pregnancy was very similar regardless of vaccination status.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wesselink and colleagues analyzed survey data on COVID-19 vaccination and infection, and fecundability, among female and male participants in the BUSPH-based&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/presto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO)<\/a>, an ongoing NIH-funded study that enrolls women trying to conceive, and follows them from preconception through six months after delivery. Participants included 2,126 women in the US and Canada who provided information on sociodemographics, lifestyle, medical factors, and characteristics of their partners from December 2020 to September 2021, and the participants were followed in the study through November 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers calculated the per menstrual cycle probability of conception using self-reported dates of participants\u2019 last menstrual period, typical menstrual cycle length, and pregnancy status. Fertility rates among female participants who received at least one dose of a vaccine were nearly identical to unvaccinated female participants. Fecundability was also similar for male partners who had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine compared with unvaccinated male participants. Additional analyses that considered the number of vaccine doses, brand of vaccine, infertility history, occupation, and geographic region also indicated no effect of vaccination on fertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While COVID-19 infection was not strongly associated with fertility, men who tested positive for COVID within 60 days of a given cycle had reduced fertility compared to men who never tested positive, or men who tested positive at least 60 days prior. This data supports previous research that has linked COVID-19 infection in men with poor sperm quality and other reproductive dysfunction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese data provide reassuring evidence that COVID vaccination in either partner does not affect fertility among couples trying to conceive,\u201d says study senior author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/lauren-wise\/\">Lauren Wise<\/a>, professor of epidemiology at BUSPH. \u201cThe prospective study design, large sample size, and geographically heterogeneous study population are study strengths, as was our control for many variables such as age, socioeconomic status, preexisting health conditions, occupation, and stress levels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new data also help quell concerns about COVID-19 vaccines and fertility that arose from anecdotal reports of females experiencing menstrual cycle changes following vaccination.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COVID-19 vaccination in either partner does not appear to affect fertility, according to new research led by School of Public Health (BUSPH) investigators. Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the prospective study of couples trying to conceive found no association between COVID-19 vaccination and fecundability\u2014the probability of conception per menstrual cycle\u2014in female or male [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15205,"featured_media":206262,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"reproductive health","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[2209,3434,2525,2158,2547,3887,1858,1993],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3526,3530,3531,3540],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[3837],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/206257"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206257"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/206257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":206387,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/206257\/revisions\/206387"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/206262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206257"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=206257"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=206257"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=206257"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=206257"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=206257"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=206257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}