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

ABSTRACT 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. The levels of cytokines and TNF‐α were measured in seminal fluid by ELISA. We enrolled 129 men who underwent sperm cryopreservation between July 7, 2020, and June 30, 2021. The 63 were included and tested for COVID‐19 in nasal swab samples by RT‐PCR and/or by serology. All patients were asymptomatic on the day of semen collection: 50 were uninfected, 8 had a positive nasal swab (PCR+) and 5 were seropositive. SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA was not detected in the seminal fluid or spermatozoa. Ejaculate volume was significantly lower in the PCR+ group compared to the uninfected group (median [IQR]: 2.6 mL [1.6–3.4] vs. 4.6 mL [2.6–5.2] p