Does COVID-19 Impact Fertility?

Fertility worries came up constantly during the pandemic and they're still a common search today, whether you're trying to conceive, recovering from a recent infection or just want a straight answer. The short version is that COVID-19 infection has been shown to cause temporary changes to sperm and to menstrual cycles in some people, but nothing in the current evidence points to lasting damage to fertility itself.

What happens to sperm after COVID-19

Several studies have looked at semen quality in men recovering from COVID-19 and found a real, measurable effect. Research has documented lower total sperm count and a reduced percentage of top-grade, healthily-moving sperm in men who'd recently had the infection compared with those who hadn't. A study published in Scientific Reports in 2025 confirmed this pattern, finding COVID-19 infection was associated with poorer sperm quality in the weeks following illness.

The reassuring part is what happens next. The same body of research consistently found these changes were temporary, with semen parameters gradually returning to normal within around three to six months after recovery. Fever itself, regardless of its cause, is already known to temporarily reduce sperm quality for a similar window, so this fits a known pattern rather than pointing to something uniquely damaging about SARS-CoV-2.

What happens to the menstrual cycle after COVID-19

Women have also reported changes during and after infection, most commonly a heavier or lighter flow than usual, a longer cycle, or cycles becoming temporarily irregular. One study found the proportion of women reporting irregular periods rose sharply during active infection, roughly tripling compared with their pre-infection baseline, before falling back down as they recovered, though not always all the way to their original rate straight away.

Researchers stress that this area is still relatively under-studied and results vary between studies, so firm conclusions are hard to draw. What's consistent across the research so far is that changes tend to be short-lived rather than permanent and are thought to reflect the general disruption that any significant illness or immune response can cause to hormonal regulation, rather than a specific attack on reproductive organs.

Is there evidence of lasting fertility damage?

No large-scale study to date has found that having had COVID-19 reduces a person's underlying ability to conceive. The changes documented in both sperm and menstrual cycles are consistently framed in the research as temporary disruptions tied to the acute illness and its aftermath, not permanent changes to reproductive capacity. This is an important distinction: feeling different during and shortly after infection isn't the same as a lasting fertility problem.

Does this affect people undergoing fertility treatment?

The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has continued to monitor the research and its guidance reflects the same picture: fertility clinics have been able to safely continue offering treatment throughout the pandemic and beyond, with clinics building COVID-19 precautions into how they operate rather than pausing care. If you're mid-treatment and catch COVID-19, your clinic is best placed to advise on timing, since a recent fever or illness is a routine reason to delay a specific cycle regardless of its cause.

What about long COVID?

Most fertility-related research has focused on the acute infection period rather than long COVID specifically and this remains a genuine gap in the evidence. General fatigue, stress and disrupted sleep, all common features of long COVID, can independently affect libido and cycle regularity, which makes it hard to separate a specific viral effect on fertility from the broader impact of living with a prolonged illness. If you're experiencing ongoing symptoms alongside fertility concerns, it's worth raising both with your GP together.

How this compares with other illnesses

It's worth putting the sperm quality findings in context. Any illness that causes a significant fever, not just COVID-19, is known to temporarily reduce sperm quality for a period afterwards, because sperm production is sensitive to a rise in body temperature. Flu, for example, has shown a broadly similar pattern in earlier research. This doesn't make the COVID-19 findings unimportant, but it does mean they fit an established, well-understood pattern rather than pointing to something unique or especially alarming about this particular virus.

Ovarian reserve, a measure of the number of eggs a woman has remaining, has also been studied specifically in relation to COVID-19. The research here is more limited than the sperm studies, but what's been published so far hasn't found a meaningful reduction in ovarian reserve markers following infection, which is a reassuring, if still developing, area of the evidence base.

Should this change your plans if you're trying to conceive?

Based on current evidence, a past COVID-19 infection isn't a reason to delay trying to conceive once you've recovered and are feeling well again. If you catch COVID-19 while actively trying, waiting for symptoms to fully resolve before continuing, in the same way you might for any significant illness or fever, is a reasonable, cautious approach rather than a necessity dictated by specific fertility risk. Couples who are already undergoing investigation for unrelated fertility difficulties shouldn't assume a recent COVID-19 infection is the explanation without ruling out other, more established causes first.

A quick recap

COVID-19 infection has been shown to cause temporary changes to sperm quality and menstrual cycles, typically resolving within three to six months, but current research hasn't found evidence of lasting fertility damage. Fertility clinics, including those regulated by the HFEA in the UK, have continued to operate safely throughout and a past infection generally isn't a reason to delay trying to conceive once you've recovered.

Frequently asked questions

How long after COVID-19 should we wait before trying to conceive?

There's no official minimum wait specifically for fertility reasons. Most guidance simply suggests waiting until you've fully recovered and are feeling well, the same approach recommended after any significant illness.

Can COVID-19 affect egg quality?

Some research has looked at hormone levels and egg quality in women who've had COVID-19 and found no significant negative change, though this remains a smaller and less extensively studied area than the sperm research.

Does long COVID affect fertility more than a short infection?

This hasn't been directly studied in large numbers. Prolonged fatigue and stress associated with long COVID could plausibly affect cycle regularity and libido, but there's no specific evidence of greater fertility impact compared with a short infection.

Should men avoid trying to conceive for a period after having COVID-19?

Given documented temporary reductions in sperm quality, some clinicians suggest allowing a few months after a fever-causing illness like COVID-19 before assuming semen parameters have fully returned to baseline, though this isn't a strict rule and varies by individual circumstances.

Is IVF success affected by a recent COVID-19 infection?

Fertility clinics generally treat a recent COVID-19 infection the same way they'd treat any recent significant illness or fever, which can be a reason to delay a specific treatment cycle. Your clinic can advise on timing based on your individual case.

Does COVID-19 vaccination affect fertility in the same way infection might?

No. This is a separate and commonly confused question. Studies specifically testing COVID-19 vaccination, rather than infection, have found no effect on conception rates, sperm parameters or IVF outcomes, which is covered in more detail in our dedicated article on the vaccine and infertility myth.