US man says his penis shrunk by 1.5 inches after getting Covid-19

Photo for representational purpose. Pic/ istock

A US-based man recently claimed on a sex advice podcast ‘How to do It' that his penis has shrunk by 1.5 inches due to vascular damage he suffered after contracting Covid-19.

"I'm a heterosexual man in my thirties. In July of last year, I contracted Covid-19 and was very sick. When I got out of the hospital, I had some erectile dysfunction issues. Those gradually got better with some medical attention, but I seem to be left with a lasting problem. My penis has shrunk. Before I got sick, I was above average, not huge, but definitely bigger than normal. Now I've lost about an inch-and-a-half and become decidedly less than average," he said on the podcast, as per reports in various publications.

"It's apparently due to vascular damage, and my doctors seem to think it's likely permanent. It shouldn't really matter, but it has had a profound impact on my self confidence in my abilities in bed.'

A University College London study of 3,400 people had also found that a shortened penis was a rare symptom among the 200 who developed long Covid.

A study published in the World Journal of Men's Health by University of Miami Miller School of Medicine also concluded widespread endothelial cell dysfunction from Covid-19 infection can contribute to significant erectile dysfunction.

In response to the claim, Dr. Charles Welliver, a urologist and Director of Men's Health at Albany Medical College, NY, said as per news reports that Covid-19 infection can cause erectile dysfunction, and in some cases, shortening of the penis if the erectile dysfunction persist over time.

'You can connect these dots... There are pretty significant vascular issues that occur with guys. Studies have actually shown that guys can get priapism - the prolonged erection that is dangerous in its own right - and guys can also get erectile dysfunction from Covid-19, so it can kind of go both directions. When guys get erectile dysfunction, they get a lack of erections for a while, and when that happens they actually do get some shrinkage," he said.

Dr. Ashley Winter, a urologist based in Oregon, also supported the legitimacy of the claims: "It is true that having erectile dysfunction leads to shortening."