A new study from Chinese scientists found coronavirus particles in the semen of 16 per cent of the male patients studied.
The study, published Thursday in the Journal of the American Medicine Association, is raising the prospect that the virus could be sexually transmitted.
The Chinese scientists analysed sperm sample of 38 patients who had the coronavirus – 15 who were still in hospital and 23 who had recovered.
Of the total 38 samples received, six samples of the samples had the virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus.
Of the six, four were at the acute stage of active infection and two had recovered.
The researchers noted that they’re not sure if the virus can be sexually transmitted between people. It can, however, spread via saliva droplets.
The study authors also don’t yet know how exactly the coronavirus entered the patients’ testes. But the barrier between the bloodstream and various parts of the penis is imperfect, so viruses can pass through it, the researchers wrote. Inflammation, which the coronavirus causes, can impact this barrier, too.
Many types of viruses that aren’t typical STIs have also been found in semen in the past.
“The presence of viruses in semen may be more common than currently understood, and traditional non-sexually transmitted viruses should not be assumed to be totally absent in genital secretions,” the researchers wrote.
Other research on viruses in semen has shown that the Zika and Ebola viruses can be sexually transmitted.
It’s also possible that the coronavirus particles in semen wouldn’t be infectious.
More research is needed on the possibility of sexual transmission of the coronavirus, the researchers said.
“Studies on viral detection and semen persistence are beneficial to clinical practice and public health, especially concerning viruses that could cause high mortality or morbidity, such as SARS-CoV-2,” the researchers wrote.