Changes in menstruation following the COVID-19 vaccine are small and short-lived compared to natural variations in the menstrual cycle, says Dr. Victoria Male, a specialist in reproductive health at Imperial College London.
Many women reported changes in menstruation after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. In the United Kingdom, over 36 applications were submitted to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (counterparts of the Polish Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products). cases of cycle disturbances or unexpected vaginal bleeding after vaccination for COVID-19.
To assess the extent to which vaccination affects the menstrual cycle, BMJ editor Dr. Victoria Male, a specialist in reproductive health at Imperial College London, took a closer look at two studies.
The first was conducted by scientists from the USA among 3. 959 American women who logged into the menstrual monitoring application for at least six consecutive cycles. Out of the entire group of 2 403 women were vaccinated against COVID-19, and the remaining women were treated as a control group.
After taking into account various factors, it turned out that the intake of the first dose of the vaccine did not affect the time of the next menstruation, while the intake of the second dose was associated with an average delay in menstruation of 0,45 days.
The 358 women who received both doses of the vaccine during the same menstrual cycle experienced the longest delays – delay of the next menstruation by an average of 2,32 days. In this group, 11 percent. women had a variation in cycle length of more than 8 days which is considered clinically relevant. In the unvaccinated group, this percentage was 4%. However, menstrual cycle length returned to normal within two cycles after receiving the vaccine.
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The second study covered 5 thousand. 688 Norwegian women who were asked to provide information on specific changes in their menstrual cycles – such as unexpected bleeding or more pain than usual during menstruation – prior to each dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and after the first and second doses.
It turned out that 38 percent. women reported at least one abnormality in the pre-vaccination cycles. Researchers calculated that after the first and second doses, the risk of heavier menstrual bleeding was higher. The rate of menstrual disturbances in the cycle prior to the second dose was similar to that in the cycle prior to the first dose. The risk of heavy bleeding after the second dose, if it occurred after the first dose, was estimated at 65,7%. There were also other disorders of the cycle after vaccination, such as shortening the cycles or longer menstruation.
According to Dr. Male, these results are reassuring that although the changes in the menstrual cycle after vaccination do occur, they are small compared to the natural variations and pass quickly.
The specialist also points out that, for example, according to the vaccination schedule in the UK, it is impossible to take two doses during one menstrual cycle, therefore the disorders observed in the American study may not apply to women from other countries.
In her opinion, a survey among British women using the same application as American women would help verify this.
The British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency so far maintains the opinion that the current evidence does not confirm the link between changes in the menstrual cycle and vaccination against COVID-19 in the British population. As recommended by the Agency, any woman who experiences post-vaccination disorders that persist for several cycles, or has postmenopausal vaginal bleeding, should be treated according to current guidelines.
Dr. Male reminds that post-COVID-19 cycle disorders are of great public concern due to previous misinformation about the effects of vaccination on fertility.
The latest research does not confirm this, and moreover, it indicates that this coronavirus infection may reduce the number and quality of sperm in men.
According to Dr. Male, research is needed to better understand the mechanism of changes in the menstrual cycle after vaccination, thanks to which it will be possible to better assess whether any group is particularly susceptible to these disorders.
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The publication can be found at: https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o142 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3998180
Author: Joanna Morga / PAP
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