THE.
NEW AT 6:00.
>> COVID HAS BEEN THROWING US
CURVE BALLS FOR OVER TWO YEARS
NOW BUT THIS ONE IS DIFFICULT TO
TALK ABOUT ON TV AND INVOLVES
FRANK DISCUSSION BESIDE A TOPIC
THAT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER
VIEWERS, SO IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE
IN THE ROOM YOU MAY WANT TO BE
SEND THEM OUT FOR JUST A COUPLE
OF MINUTES.
>> RESEARCH REVEAL AS LIFE
ALTERING RISK AND UROLOGISTS ARE
HOPEFUL THAT AFTER LEARNING
ABOUT THIS UNIQUE THREAT TO MEN,
MORE WILL ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES
AND GET VACCINATED.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, EARLY ON IN
THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS SOME
RESEARCH LINKING ERECTILE
DYSFUNCTION TO COVID INFECTIONS
BUT MANY DOCTORS WEREN’T SURE
WHAT TO MAKE OF IT.
NOW TWO YEARS LATER AND AFTER
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
INFECTIONS WORLDWIDE UROLOGISTS
WANT MEN TO BE AWARE THEY ARE
SEEING A PROBLEM.
>> USING HUMANER TO DISCUSS AN
UNCOMFORTABLE TOPIC.
>> MEN WHO HAVE HAD COVID ARE
SIX TIMES FOR LIKELY TO DEVELOP
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION.
>> I AM, WHAT?
.
>> WE DEFINITELY HAVE SEEN MEN
COMING INTO OUR CLINICS
COMPLAINING OF POST COVID
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION.
>> Reporter: THE DIRECTOR OF
MEN’S HEALTH AT THE HENRY FORD
HOSPITALLED.
>> SOME OF.
THESE MEN HAVE NO HISTORY OF
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION.
>> MADE UP MUCH MORE THAN 40
UROLOGISTS ARE WARNING, SAYING
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT COVID
CAN AFFECT THE BLOOD VESSELS OF
THEPINE US IN A SIMILAR WAY THAT
IT AFFECTS THE BLOOD LEVELS OF
THE LUNGS PREVENTING THEM TO
PROVIDE ENOUGH BLOOD TO THEPINE
PENIS TO CAUSE ANNIE
RECOLLECTION.
>> LARGER SCALE STUDIES HAVE
SHOWED ABOUT A 20% INCREASED
RISK OF DEVELOPING ERECTILE
DYSFUNCTION AFTER COVID.
>> Reporter: AND IT’S NOT ONLY
AFFECTING OLDER MEN.
>> WE’RE ACTUALLY SEEING IT IN A
VERY WIDE AGE RANGE.
SEEING IT IN MEN STARTING IN
THEIR 20s ALL THE WAY TO MEN
IN THEIR 70s.
>> THERE ARE MANY REASONS COVID
COULD BE RELATED TO THE
DEVELOPMENT OR WORSENING OF ED.
>> WE THINK THIS MAY BE RELATED
TO A FEW DIFFERENT REASONS SUCH
ARIZONA DAMAGE TO BLOOD RELLS
AND SERVES, LOW TESTOSTERONE AND
MENTAL HEALTH WELL-BEING.
>> Reporter: ONE STUDY IN
PARTICULAR SUGGEST THE VIRUS
COULD DIRECTLY INFECT CELLS
LINING BLOOD VESSELS IN THE
PENIS.
>> RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
FIND ACTUALLY SOME VIRUS
PARTICLES ISOLATED FROM THE
ENDOTHELIUM IN MEN THAT HAVE HAD
PREVIOUS COVID INFECTIONS AND
THIS IS SPECIFICALLY IN THE
PENIS.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE WE ONLY
HAVE TWO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
WITH THIS PROBLEM, WE DON’T KNOW
IF IT MIGHT IMPROVE IN TIME WE
DON’T HAVE ANY LONG TERM STUDIES
AND NEED STUDIES IDENTIFY IF
THIS POST COVID ED WILL BE
SHORT-LIVED OR IF IT’S A MORE
PERMANENT CONDITION.
>> ONE THING IS CLEAR, AVOIDING
COVID CAN HELP AVOID THE ISSUE.
>> DEFINITELY, I’VE HAD SOME
PATIENTS WISH THEY WERE
VACCINATED FOR THIS VERY REASON
BUT UNFORTUNATELY GETTING THE
VACCINE AFTERWARDS MAY NOT HELP
MUCH.
>> WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?
GO GET THE VACCINE.
>> SO WHILE UROLOGISTS ARE
SEEING AN INCREASED IN ED AMONG
MEN WHO HAVE HAD COVID, MOST MEN
ARE NOT GOING TO DEVELOP ED FROM
COVID.
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION IS FAR MORE
LIKELY TO COME FROM OTHER
CHRONIC MEDICAL PROBLEMS.
>> FRANK, I GET THAT OBVIOUSLY
UROLOGISTS WANT PEOPLE TO GET
THE VACCINE, BUT SOME MEN HAVE
CONCERNS ABOUT THE VACCINE AND
THEIR FERTILITY.
HOW DO UROLOGISTS RESPOND TO
THAT?
>> WELL, THAT’S AN IMPORTANT
POINT, THERE IS JUST NO EVIDENCE
AT ALL THAT ANY OF THE VACCINES
HAD ANY EFFECT ON FERTILITY.
IN FACT, I WOULD EVEN GO SO FAR
AS TO SAY ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO
DEVELOP ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
FROM GETTING COVID THAN ARE YOU
TO HAVE A FERTILITY PROBLEM FROM