Corona current
Does the vaccination affect the female cycle?
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Some women report on the internet that their menstrual cycle has changed after their corona vaccination. What’s it all about?
Officially, the prioritization of corona vaccinations in Germany has meanwhile been overturned. The reality is different in places: Vaccine is still scarce in many places. There is probably still a long way to go before everyone who wants to be vaccinated actually receives a vaccination offer. On the Internet, some women who have already received the vaccination report a new possible side effect. Accordingly, the corona vaccination is said to have changed the menstrual cycle in women, so that there is, for example, heavier bleeding.
More bleeding from vaccination?
The discussion was initiated by the American Kate Clancy, who works as a professor at the University of Illinois, and who started a corresponding poll on Twitter. “A colleague told me that she had heard from others that their period was heavy after the vaccination. I am curious if other menstruators have noticed any changes too?” Clancy herself had received her first dose of the vaccine from Moderna about a week and a half earlier, then her period came a day earlier than usual. Numerous reactions to the tweet showed that some women have indeed noticed changes in their cycle. Some had changed when the menstrual period occurred or how long it lasted; others had changed the severity of the bleeding.
Not scientifically proven so far
From a scientific point of view, there is so far no proven connection between a changed menstrual cycle and the vaccination against corona. The gynecologist Manuela Bohr said about this rtl.de, that stress could be a possible factor in the changed cycle. This could be noticeable, for example, through tension before the vaccination, as a general fear of infection or through how long the pandemic has been affecting our lives. The expert is sure, however, that there is no general explanation for a possible influence of the corona vaccination on the cycle. Because: “Every woman is different, feels different things as stressors and in turn reacts individually (longer or shorter cycle) to stressors.”
The different compositions of the corona vaccines also speak against the connection. “The corona vaccination is carried out with different vaccines (vector / mRNA). The side effects are different for the different vaccines. In my opinion, it is not plausible that one vaccine group could influence the cycle in all women in the same way.”
The female cycle is delicate
In fact, there are generally many different factors that can affect the cycle. “Perhaps the vaccinated woman celebrated all night long, ran a marathon, went on a diet or gained 5 kilos in the last few weeks out of frustration?” Said Bohr. All of these could play a role in change. Women who notice an abnormality in their cycle after vaccination do not need to worry directly because of the many different possible factors – the menstrual period often levels off on its own after a short time. If the irregularities persist over a longer period of time, you should talk to your doctor about possible causes.
Do mRNA vaccines promote inflammation?
The physician Dr. Christoph Specht brings along in the conversation rtl.de Another theory comes into play: To increase the stability of the RNA content in the vaccine, they are coated with certain fats, so-called lipids. This creates tiny spheres known as lipid nanoparticles. And these in turn could contain active ingredients that promote inflammation in the body. This increases estrogen levels in women – and could explain more bleeding after a vaccination. Dr. Specht points out, however, that there is still no verifiable data for this theory either.
Sources used: rtl.de