- The COVID-19 vaccine could lead to mild, temporary changes in the length of your menstrual cycle, according to a study published today in the journal Science Advances.
- The researchers reported that: 42% of menstruating individuals reported a heavier flow after receiving the vaccine.
- The data compared three menstrual cycles before the vaccine and three after inoculation.
According to a study released today in the journal Science Advances, the COVID-19 vaccine may cause minor, transient alterations in the length of your menstrual cycle as reported by Healthline.
Greatest strategies
Nevertheless, according to specialists, vaccinations are still one of the greatest strategies to prevent the new coronavirus from causing significant illness.
The study’s investigators examined responses from 35,000 premenopausal and postmenopausal people about their menstrual cycle in the weeks following receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Kate Clancy, PhD, an anthropologist and professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, served as the study’s principal investigator.
None of the individuals had a COVID-19 diagnosis. In order to minimise confusion with irregular periods brought on by premenopause or postmenopause, researchers excluded women between the ages of 45 and 55.
The researchers reported that:
- 42% of menstruating individuals reported a heavier flow after receiving the vaccine. Some experienced this within the first 7 days. Others did so between 8 and 14 days after receiving the vaccine.
- Nearly 44% reported no changes
- 14% reported a mix of no change or a lighter flow
Other findings included:
- Respondents who had experienced a pregnancy were most likely to report heavier bleeding.
- Most non-menstruating premenopausal respondents on hormonal treatments experienced breakthrough bleeding.
- More than 70% of respondents using long-acting reversible contraception, such as an IUD, experienced breakthrough bleeding.
- Slightly more than 38% of those undergoing gender-affirming hormone treatments reported breakthrough bleeding.
The following groups reported heavier menstruation:
- Non-white, Hispanic/Latinx respondents
- Older adults
- Those who experienced fever or fatigue as a side effect of the vaccine
- People with endometriosis, menorrhagia, fibroids, and other reproductive issues
According to scientists, menstrual alterations are often transient.
Menstrual problems were not considered as a potential adverse effect in earlier immunisation trials. Researchers concluded that it wasn’t monitored, disregarded, or discarded.
Numerous respondents claimed that their doctors frequently dismissed their worries. Some medical professionals couldn’t comprehend how vaccination could alter menstrual cycles.
Other vaccines, including those for typhoid, hepatitis A and B, and HPV, have been linked to alterations in menstruation, the researchers noted.
Looking at potential factors
Some experts say an uptick in immune-related inflammatory pathways could be the cause of nonhormonal changes.
These findings were also the result of self-reported surveys.
“It’s an interesting report, but they are anecdotal findings.
However, many extraneous variables weren’t considered, such as how many women had polyps, fibroids, were stressed, postmenopausal with new onset bleeding, or were in the early stages of pregnancy,” said Dr Kecia Gaither, MPH, double board-certified in OB/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine and director of Perinatal Services/Maternal Fetal Medicine at NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln.
Researchers reported less than a 1-day increase in the length of the menstrual cycle around the time of immunization.
Other factors could be affecting menstruation cycles.
“Less severe, short-term stressors can and do influence menstrual cycling, established in over 40 years of cycle research,” said Dr Taraneh Shirazian an associate professor and director of the Division of Global and Community Women’s Health in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at NYU Langone Health.
“The vaccine doesn’t have any long-term consequences, but getting COVID disease will likely disrupt the menstrual cycle much more so,” she told Healthline.
“Changes could be linked to infection, weight loss/gain, and new medications.
This information helps us understand that minor cycle changes are possible and common in response to vaccination, so women shouldn’t be surprised if their cycles change slightly.”
What you should do if you notice changes
On the first day of your period, menstrual cycles start, and they finish on the first day of your subsequent period.
Age can affect how often you get your period. Typically, a cycle lasts between 24 to 38 days. Cycles longer than 38 days are usual when you initially start menstruation. Within three years of the start of your period, they typically start to become more regular.
Cycles usually last between 24 and 38 days and are regular in your 20s and 30s. Your body begins the transition to menopause after you are 40. You may get regular cycles for a while until they stop completely for a few months. Additionally, you might notice that your menstruation is lighter or heavier than usual.
“Watch for any cycle changes, and if they continue, call your doctor.” It’s interesting to note that postmenopausal patients in the research experienced breakthrough bleeding, which may support the idea that vaccination spotting is not linked to fertility. Instead, it can just be the outcome of additional “stress” placed on the reproductive system, according to Shirazian.
In general, according to Penn Medicine, women should talk to their physician if:
- If you haven’t had a period for 90 days.
- Your period suddenly becomes irregular.
- You have a period more often than every 21 days.
- You have a period less often than every 35 days.
- Your period lasts longer than 7 days.
- Bleeding or spotting happens between periods.
- If you experience pain during menstruation.
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Source: Healthline
