{"id":747576,"date":"2021-09-13T11:50:13","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T15:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=747576"},"modified":"2021-09-13T11:50:16","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T15:50:16","slug":"fact-check-image-claims-a-new-study-found-ivermectin-causes-sterility-in-85-of-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-image-claims-a-new-study-found-ivermectin-causes-sterility-in-85-of-men\/","title":{"rendered":"FACT CHECK: Image Claims A \u2018New\u2019 Study Found Ivermectin Causes Sterility In 85% Of Men"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffact-check-image-claims-a-new-study-found-ivermectin-causes-sterility-in-85-of-men%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=747576&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/GettyImages-1227725605-scaled-e1631546803489.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>An image <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/john.bates.545402\/posts\/10220049397731300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">shared on Facebook<\/a> claims a \u201cnew\u201d study found ivermectin causes sterility in 85 percent of men.<\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Verdict: False<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Infertility in men is \u201cnot a known side effect\u201d of ivermectin, according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spokesperson. The study that is used to make the claim dates back to 2011, uses what can be considered a small sample size and lacks a control group.<\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Fact Check:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/john.bates.545402\/posts\/10220049397731300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">image<\/a> shows a screen grab of a tweet that reads, \u201cA new study by researchers at three universities have concluded that ivermectin causes sterility in 85% of men.\u201d It includes what looks like a link to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfla.com\/news\/ivermectin-causes-sterilization-in-85-percent-of-men-study-finds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">now-retracted WFLA.com article<\/a> on the same topic.<\/p>\n<p>Ivermectin is a medication approved by the FDA for human use to \u201ctreat infections caused by some parasitic worms and head lice and skin conditions like rosacea,\u201d according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FDA\u2019s website<\/a>. There is also a formulation of ivermectin for animals that has FDA approval to treat certain parasites. Some people have, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/outlook\/2021\/09\/07\/ivermectin-vaccine-skeptics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Washington Post<\/a>, been taking either human or animal ivermectin in an attempt to treat COVID-19, despite the FDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">not having authorized or approved<\/a> it for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in humans or animals as of press time.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com\/articles\/effects-of-ivermectin-therapy-on-the-sperm-functions-of-nigerian-onchocerciasis-patients.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">referenced study<\/a> was published in the Archives of Applied Science Research through the Scholars Research Library back in 2011. It screened 385 male patients in Nigeria who had been diagnosed with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/health-topics\/onchocerciasis#tab=tab_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">river blindness<\/a>, only 37 of whom were \u201celigible for further tests, as their sperm counts were normal while the remaining patients had very low sperm counts and were therefore not used for further tests or were too weak after the preliminary screening tests and were not considered eligible for further test\/studies,\u201d according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com\/articles\/effects-of-ivermectin-therapy-on-the-sperm-functions-of-nigerian-onchocerciasis-patients.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com\/articles\/effects-of-ivermectin-therapy-on-the-sperm-functions-of-nigerian-onchocerciasis-patients.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">says<\/a> it measured various sperm functions of the 37 eligible patients before they received ivermectin and after 11 months of treatment with the medication to investigate the \u201ceffects of ivermectin therapy on the sperm functions.\u201d Using only 37 patients can, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4148275\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2014 paper<\/a> published in the Brazilian Annals of Dermatology, be considered too small of a sample size.<\/p>\n<p>While the 2011 Nigerian study did state that \u201ccaution be seriously exercised in the treatment of male onchocerciasis patients with ivermectin to avoid the adverse effects it has on the patients\u2019 sperm functions,\u201d its own findings did not conclude ivermectin causes infertility in 85 percent of men. The study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com\/articles\/effects-of-ivermectin-therapy-on-the-sperm-functions-of-nigerian-onchocerciasis-patients.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">says<\/a> it observed \u201csignificant reduction in sperm counts and sperm motility\u201d of the patients, but could \u201cnot record any significant change or alteration in the sperm viscosity, sperm volume, and sperm liquefaction time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The 85-percent figure supposedly comes from a \u201crecent report\u201d that the study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com\/articles\/effects-of-ivermectin-therapy-on-the-sperm-functions-of-nigerian-onchocerciasis-patients.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cites<\/a> in its \u201cReferences\u201d section as being published in the Journal of Biomedical Investigation in 2002. Check Your Fact could not locate that report online. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/checkyourfact.com\/2021\/05\/03\/fact-check-fda-not-authorize-approve-covid-19-vaccine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Will The FDA Not Authorize Or Approve Any COVID-19 Vaccine?)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/gideon-meyerowitz-katz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz<\/a>, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org.au\/covid19\/experts\/gideon-meyerowitz-katz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">epidemiologist<\/a> at Australia\u2019s University of Wollongong, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GidMK\/status\/1435801265183723522\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a> on Twitter that the 2011 Nigerian study \u201cdoesn\u2019t prove anything, certainly not that ivermectin causes sterility.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"10.260869565217\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Agree wholeheartedly. I\u2019ve been a bit busy with all the rampant fraud, but I did quickly read that ivermectin\/sperm count study and it doesn\u2019t prove anything, certainly not that ivermectin causes sterility <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/P4CgTnQ6zM\">https:\/\/t.co\/P4CgTnQ6zM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Health Nerd (@GidMK) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GidMK\/status\/1435801265183723522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 9, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"9.3486590038314\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">It was a small piece of research from nearly a decade ago that excluded 90% of the participants because they had sperm too poor to qualify for inspection. That alone means it\u2019s impossible to draw any firm conclusions<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Health Nerd (@GidMK) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GidMK\/status\/1435801266987229188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 9, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"10.254980079681\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">There\u2019s also no control group, so my guess would be that the authors were surveilling a very unwell population who happened to be taking ivermectin. Hard to tell if the medication contributed to that at all<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Health Nerd (@GidMK) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GidMK\/status\/1435802009697853443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 9, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s also no control group, so my guess would be that the authors were surveilling a very unwell population who happened to be taking ivermectin,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GidMK\/status\/1435802009697853443\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">went on to say<\/a> on Twitter. \u201cHard to tell if the medication contributed to that at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Archives of Applied Science Research, the journal that published the study in 2011, describes itself as being \u201cpeer-reviewed\u201d but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com\/journals\/archives-of-applied-science-research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">does not elaborate<\/a> on its peer review process on the Scholars Research Library\u2019s website. The journal&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com\/journals\/archives-of-applied-science-research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">also states<\/a> it is financed by charging \u201chandling fees received from authors and some academic\/corporate sponsors.\u201d Scholars Research Library <a href=\"https:\/\/beallslist.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">appears<\/a> on a list of \u201cpotential predatory scholarly open\u2011access publishers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A FDA spokesperson told Check Your Fact in an email that male infertility is \u201cnot a known side effect of ivermectin.\u201d Common side effects of oral ivermectin can include headaches, muscle aches, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea and mild skin rash, according to a page on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uofmhealth.org\/health-library\/d04101a1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">University of Michigan Health\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInfertility in men is not a known side effect of ivermectin and is not included as a side effect in the labeling,\u201d the FDA spokesperson said. \u201cThe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/drugsatfda_docs\/label\/2014\/204154Orig1s000lbl.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/drugsatfda_docs\/label\/2014\/204154Orig1s000lbl.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631297049852000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHlusguW4pRldZQQgLqcqL4jviqAQ\">labeling<\/a> for ivermectin and its bioequivalents states that ivermectin had no adverse effects on the fertility in rats in studies at repeated doses of up to 3 times the maximum recommended human dose of 200 mcg\/kg (on a mg\/m2\/day basis). However, the FDA continues to monitor reports of all adverse events with ivermectin and will update the public as more information becomes available.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThough ivermectin is not a recommended treatment for COVID-19 and can cause toxicity there is no evidence that it has an impact on male fertility,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.centerforhealthsecurity.org\/our-people\/adalja\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dr. Amesh Adalja<\/a>, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Check Your Fact in an email. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/checkyourfact.com\/2021\/09\/09\/fact-check-fema-forcibly-vaccinating-evacuees-hurricane-ida-covid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Image Falsely Claims FEMA Is \u2018Forcibly Vaccinating\u2019 Hurricane Ida Evacuees)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The FDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">currently states<\/a> on its website that ivermectin \u201chas not been shown to be safe or effective\u201d for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 in humans or animals. The agency has \u201creceived multiple reports of patients who have required medical attention, including hospitalization, after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for livestock,\u201d its website states.<\/p>\n<p>NBC affiliate station KTSM, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfla.com\/community\/health\/coronavirus\/ivermectin-causes-sterilization-in-85-percent-of-men-study-finds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">originally published<\/a> the story about the 2011 Nigerian study, has since retracted it and published a statement, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ktsm.com\/news\/local-news\/ivermectin-causes-sterilization-in-85-percent-of-men-study-finds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">saying<\/a>, \u201cConcerns over the scientific research methods, the veracity of the original, peer-reviewed report and public statements by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) saying that infertility is not a known side effect of Ivermectin all led to our editorial decision to remove the story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Scholars Research Library did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An image shared on Facebook claims a \u201cnew\u201d study found ivermectin causes sterility in 85 percent of men.Verdict: False Infertility in men is \u201cnot a known side effect\u201d of ivermectin, &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-747576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=747576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=747576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=747576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=747576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}