Nicki Minaj came under fire on Monday for tweeting misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
“My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen,” Minaj tweeted. "His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding.
“So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.”
Author Kurt Eichenwald was quick to point out the fact that swollen testicles is not a side effect of any of the available vaccines. “It's called hydrocele. In adults, the 2 primary causes are injury or STD (chlamydia or gonorrhea),” he tweeted. “Probably your cousin's friend was taking one last marriage fling, picked up an STD & is blaming vaccines. He needs an MD, stat.
“...and by the way, @NICKIMINAJ - I think the fact that the girl called off the wedding is more of a sign that she figured out the dog cheated on her, and not because he has temporarily swollen balls.”
Dr. Uché Blackstock was among many experts who schooled Minaj: “Impotence is significantly more likely from COVID and there have been no documented cases of impotence associated with the COVID vaccine.”
I AM A BOARD CERTIFIED UROLOGIST. The vaccine does not cause orchitis (ie swollen balls). Something else caused that. Tons of data that getting COVID does effect semen parameters and might lead to infertility. Vaccines prevent COVID! Misinformation kills.
— Ashley Winter MD || Urologist (@AshleyGWinter) September 13, 2021
Others reactions were less medical. “Hmm. I could listen to what doctors and other medical professionals are saying based on data involving millions of people, or I could listen to what Nicki Minaj says her cousin told her about his friend,” tweeted David Schwartz. “However can I reconcile these two nearly equally good choices?”
Here’s a look at some of the other replies to Minaj’s tweet:
I’ve fixed that for you. You’re welcome. pic.twitter.com/EK1lw8osam
— Nick Harvey (@mrnickharvey) September 13, 2021
I’ve been eagerly searching for a way for my testicles to become swollen with impotence so this post actually inspired me to get vaccinated
— Cam (@cameron_kasky) September 13, 2021
"My cousin's friend" is the start to a story that totally happened.
— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) September 13, 2021
My grandpa died from Covid before the vaccine was available, but he went out with a great set of balls, so I totally get it.
— Rosa Pasquarella (@whatrosasaid) September 13, 2021
Imagine getting on Twitter one day and seeing that your friend's super famous cousin just told 23 million people about your balls
— SwampLizard (@DiscoTempoJazz) September 13, 2021
— Nicki’s Cousin’s Friend’s Testicles (@TheGlare_TM) September 13, 2021
I had the vaccine and my wife got pregnant about six days later. My testicles have stayed the same size throughout the process. I will inform you if there is any change.
— Max Rushden (@maxrushden) September 14, 2021
now that nicki minaj’s cousins friend in trinidad has weighed in on vaccine risk and definitely didn’t just get an STD i can finally make my own decision about this vaccine
— staniel sumnerton-barnes (@RThockey) September 13, 2021
I took it and suddenly my testicles can predict the weather AND nuanced fluctuations in the Stock Market!! So...... its a reasonable risk.
— Shawn Patterson (@shawnmpatterson) September 13, 2021
— Pro-Vaccine Queen (@TypicalTahdig) September 14, 2021
thank you for breaking this curtain of silence actually the same thing happened to me the day after the vaccination my testicles suddenly were twice as big as before and now (5 months later) they already grew about the size of my head so sometimes i use them as a basketball
— r (@wasserwange) September 14, 2021