In the age of social media and the Internet, the dissemination of fake news and rumours has reached fever pitch. No longer must we be physically present for someone to trade inaccurate gossip through word-of-mouth, instead, these things make their way onto the Internet where it’s up to many of us to discern the fact from the fiction. In some instances, it can be a tall order and in the early days of Covid-19, navigating the truth and guidelines from health officials was to have to ignore most comments from anywhere else.
But when it comes to one rumour regarding the impact of Covid on our penis length, many have been quick to ring the alarm bells. While thing’s like Covid hair loss have come to be regarded as commonplace, rumours suggesting erectile dysfunction can arise post-Covid have left many wondering if such claims are true. Thankfully, Dr Rena Malik, a urologist and pelvic surgeon, is here to shed some light on the topic.
In a video posted to her YouTube channel titled ‘Can Covid really shrink you *eggplant emoji*’, Malid suggests, “When you get Covid-19 it can affect the lining of the blood vessels and this can create difficulty in getting blood flow from one part of the body to the other. In fact, this can also affect blood flow to the penis. Getting Covid-19 makes you at a five times higher risk of erectile dysfunction.”
While Covid-19 might make it harder to sustain an erection, it appears a number of people have also experienced long-term impacts of Covid-19 on penis length. “When you’re losing blood flow to the area over time this can cause shrinkage of the tissues itself, meaning that you might notice a decrease in penile length,” explains Malik.
One listener of the podcast How To Do It wrote in to document his own experience of Covid-19 impacting penis length. The man who is in his 30s said that he experienced erectile dysfunction after leaving hospital and recovering from Covid. While the symptom went away after receiving medical attention, he admits that his penis shrunk about an inch and a half. “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 and my abilities in bed,” he added.
Doctors and urologists alike now seem to suggest that shrinkage after erectile dysfunction is quite normal, even citing the fact that for men who have had their prostate removed due to cancer, they are often unable to get erect for six to twelve weeks.
Though it might be a hard adjustment with impacts to both your physical and mental state, it’s important to know that such an experience is normal. Even so, should it be something you encounter, it’s worth talking to your health professional as in these cases, the first step typically involves a daily low-dose of Viagra.
