The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Is there a link between COVID-19 vaccine and ‘funky’ periods?
Some women claim to be experiencing irregular, heavy or painful menstrual periods following their COVID-19 vaccine. But experts said, while they’ve heard of the phenomenon, they’re not sure what might be causing it, and they say it should not dissuade someone from getting the vaccine.
“Are there reports of funky periods? Yes. Do we have a ready explanation? I don’t think so,” said Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine.
Minkin said she has heard of women having heavy periods, cramping and other problems after getting the vaccine, but “there’s no biological reason for it.”
Minkin said there are multiple causes that can lead to irregular or difficult periods, including stress, so it’s still unclear whether there is a link between the vaccine and the period.
However, two researchers — Kate Clancy, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Katharine Lee, a postdoctoral scholar in the division of public health sciences at Washington University — have been seeking participants in a study on the impact of the COVID vaccine on the menstrual cycle.
According to a research consent form now online, women who participate in the study will take a survey that asks about the timing of their vaccines, menstrual cycles and menstrual period.
“This research study is about your experiences with your period or other menstrual bleeding (such as ‘spotting’) and associated symptoms after receiving at least one dose of a vaccine for COVID-19,” the form reads. “Side effects are a common and even an important element of the vaccine response, and bleeding patterns can be an important way to understand how our immune systems are activated.”
Clancy had previously posted on Twitter, looking for anyone who had irregular periods following vaccination.
“A colleague told me she has heard from others that their periods were heavy post-vax,” Clancy posted on Feb. 24. “I’m curious whether other menstruators have noticed changes too? I’m a week and a half out from dose 1 of Moderna, got my period maybe a day or so early, and am gushing like I’m in my 20s again.”
In addition to Minkin, obstetrician/gynecology Dr. Daniel Gottschall said he hadn’t heard from patients having irregular periods after vaccination, but pointed out the vaccine is still relatively new.
In Connecticut, most women young enough to still be menstruating weren’t eligible to receive a vaccine until about eight weeks ago, said Gottschall, vice president of medical affairs for the Fairfield region of Hartford HealthCare and St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport. There were some young women — including health care workers — who were eligible for the vaccine sooner, but Gottschall said it’s still too early in the process to know what the effects are on this population.
“I don’t think there’s a good cause and effect of how we understand the virus to work and how it might affect the menstrual cycle,” he said.
Even if there is a connection, Minkin and Gottschall said that shouldn’t dissuade women from getting the vaccine. “Everything has a risk/benefit, but the risks of this vaccination are very, very, very small,” Gottschall said.
Minkin agreed. “If somebody’s got menstrual pain, we can take care of it,” she said. “But we have a much harder time dealing with the COVID itself.”