BACKGROUND

The protective effects of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2-associated semen impairment remain underexplored. We aimed to investigate the association between BBIBP-CorV vaccination and semen quality in males recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This single-center retrospective cohort study included males recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection at a tertiary hospital in Urumqi, China (February-May 2023). Participants were categorized into long-term (> 90 days) and short-term (≤ 90 days) effects groups based on the interval between semen collection and their most recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study assessed the association between different doses of BBIBP-CorV vaccination and semen quality in both groups.

RESULTS

A total of 1496 participants were recruited for the short-term ( = 307) and long-term effect groups ( = 1189). Participants had a median age of 32 (IQR: 30, 35) years. Compared to unvaccinated controls, 2-dose and 3-dose recipients showed reduced risk of semen quality impairment in short-term, with adjusted relative risk (RR) of 0.945 (95% CI 0.918, 0.973) and 0.965 (95% CI 0.937, 0.993), respectively. No significant results were found for long-term effect groups.

CONCLUSION

Inactivated COVID-19 vaccination may protect against semen quality impairment in males recovering from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection within 90 days, particularly in semen volume and sperm progressive motility.