COVID-19 and Oncofertility: No SARS-CoV-2 in Semen but Inflammation Seems to Affect Sperm Parameters.

The COVID-19 pandemic, driven by SARS-CoV-2, led authorities to recommend halting assisted reproductive technology programs, focusing instead on fertility preservation, for cancer patients. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen remains controversial. This multicentric prospective cohort study, conducted across 12 university medical centers, aimed to determine if SARS-CoV-2 is present in spermatozoa/seminal plasma in cancer patients by RT-PCR and to assess its impact on standard semen parameters.

Validation of a SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assay: a requirement to evaluate viral contamination in human semen.

Research Question: Is it possible to validate an accurate and reliable method for direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in human semen fractions?

Design: This qualitative improvement study aimed to provide a prospective validation of SARS-CoV-2 detection in male semen. The SARS-CoV-2 genome was detected by multiplex real-time RT-PCR on patient samples that underwent routine semen analyses for infertility at the Center for Reproductive Medicine at the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand. Samples comprised surplus semen collected for treatment with assisted reproductive technology.