A study published last Thursday by JAMA Network Open uncovered detectable levels of coronavirus in semen.
While this does not necessarily indicate that coronavirus is sexually transmitted, the findings support calls from public health authorities for individuals to take precautions and engage in safe sex practices.
A study conducted by Chinese researchers has detected traces of coronavirus in the semen of infected men.
The study was conducted in China’s Shanqui Municipal Hospital and involved sampling the semen of 38 patients being treated for COVID-19. Of the samples taken, six patients had detectable levels of SARS-CoV-2 in their semen.
This is a development from an earlier study conducted in February, where no traces of the virus were found in the semen of 12 Chinese patients being treated for COVID-19.
Importantly, researchers touched on the fact that the progression of the disease in each patient did not affect the levels of the virus in the semen. Four of the men identified in the study were considered to be in the ‘acute’ phase of the virus while the other two had been classified as ‘recovered’.
The authors of the study published wrote: “Further studies are required with respect to the detailed information about virus shedding, survival time and concentration in semen.”
While the study was preliminary and only involved a small number of samples, the confirms that virus is present in some patient’s reproductive tracts for an undetermined amount of time.
The team behind the research added that “If it could be proved that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted sexually in future studies, sexual transmission might be a critical part of the prevention of transmission“.
While further studies are needed to assess the role of semen in potentially transmitting the virus, using a condom appears to be the wisest option for now. Or better yet, find ways to pleasure yourself and boost your immune system at the same time.
