A new Yale study found just how profound Zika virus ramifications could be.
While the headlines around Zika usually centered on how a woman who had the virus could pass it along to her fetus, a study out of Yale University found that men are just as susceptible to the virus.
The study updated research that had yet to conclude how the virus affected the male sex organs.
More: The Zika virus may spread through sex as well as mosquitoes
“These results suggest that infection can cause reproductive deficiency in males,” explains Ryuta Uraki, a lead author of the study.
The strain of Zika that was tested on mice showed two things — that the virus continued to multiply even after it was removed from the mice’s blood and that the size of testes were smaller following the infection.
Zika can be sexually transmitted, which is why it is a noteworthy update for heterosexual couples who are looking to get pregnant.
The impact of the Zika virus on males could also be more long-term, as the change in testes size could ultimately lead to infertility.
More: Microcephaly: What moms need to know about the condition caused by Zika
By Vivian Nunez
Originally published on HelloFlo.
