Can COVID shrink your penis? One man in the US believes the virus irreversibly shortened his manhood

Despite having been at the forefront of our consciousness for over two years now, the full effects of COVID-19 on our bodies are still being studied.

While the initial signs of the virus are now well known, additional symptoms associated with new COVID-19 variants and "Long COVID" are continually being discovered and documented.

The case of a man in the United States has drawn widespread media attention to what he believes is a seldom-discussed side effect of coronavirus - a reduction in the size of his penis.

In an episode of Slate’s advice podcast "How to Do It" broadcast on January 9, hosts Jessica Stoya and Rich Juzwiak discussed a letter from a listener, a man in his 30s, who describes living with the long-term effects of COVID-19 on his manhood.

In the letter to the show, the man explained that he contracted the virus in July 2021 and was hospitalised. After being discharged, he experienced "some erectile dysfunction issues" which eased after seeking medical attention.

He added, though, that he "seemed to be left with a lasting problem" after he noticed his previously "above average" penis had shrunk by an inch and a half compared to its size before he was ill with the virus.

According to the man, who is not named in the correspondence, his doctors advised him that the shrinkage was due to "vascular damage" and is likely permanent.

The connection between COVID-19 and issues with the reproductive system is still a grey area but some studies that have already been carried out have made tentative links between the virus and conditions such as erectile dysfunction (ED).

A small study by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida, the US, analysed penile tissue from four men who had previously contracted the