Corona-vaccines Disrupt Menstruation; Other Side Effects In Women [Study]

Keneci Channel

More than 165,000 women who were vaccinated with 2 doses each, participated in the survey. Co-authors of the study which was published on the journal Science Advances Friday, are Kathryn Clancy, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her graduate student Katherine M.N. Lee, now an assistant professor at Tulane University. They presented a first round analysis based on a subset -- over 39,000 women 18 to 80 years old who were fully vaccinated and had not contracted the Chinese coronavirus.

The scientists found that 42% of women with regular menstrual cycles said they bled more heavily than usual after vaccination. Meanwhile, 44% reported no change and around 14% reported a lighter period.

The group surveyed also included women who do not usually menstruate because they are post-menopausal, use long-acting reversible contraceptives or hormonal contraceptives. A majority of these respondents experienced breakthrough bleeding after the vaccine.

The survey found that in general, women who experienced a heavier flow after their shots were more likely to have a diagnosed reproductive condition; to have also experienced fever or fatigue as side effects; or to have been pregnant in the past.

The respondents in the survey were vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax.

Approximately 84% of participants were white, and none were between the ages of 45 and 55 because the researchers didn’t want to include changes associated with perimenopause, when the body begins the transition to menopause.

The survey started in April 2021, around the time people began to report unexpected bleeding and heavier flow post-vaccine. Clancy and her colleagues were inspired to ask people about their menstruation cycles after they wondered why they experienced an unexpected change after being vaccinated.

Clancy got her first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in early 2021 and 10 days later found herself sitting uncomfortably in a work Zoom meeting during one of the heaviest periods she’d experienced.

“I had what’s often called menstrual flooding,” says Clancy. She wouldn’t have thought to connect the experience to the Moderna dose she’d received were it not for Lee who shared a similar tale. “I had the worst cramps of my life” after COVID-19 vaccination, Lee says. Clancy shared her story on Twitter. Hundreds of women responded with parallel stories, leading her to suspect a potential link to vaccination.

Clancy said she’s received messages from parents who’ve heard about menstruation changes and are concerned that vaccinating their child will cause early puberty.

As part of the survey, the team included free response sections where participants could share their experiences.

“A large number of people reported the feeling that ‘I’m so angry that I didn’t know this ahead of time, but I’m glad I still got it,’” said Clancy. “They wouldn’t have changed their decision to get the vaccine, but they felt betrayed by the fact that no one told them to expect it.”

Not sure about that!