If the Covid vaccine changed your period cycle, you are not alone

Many people have complained of fever, body ache and headache after taking the Covid-19 vaccine jab. But there is more. Women have also experienced changes in their menstrual cycle after getting the vaccine shots.

A recent study too has highlighted the concern that Covid-19 vaccination affects the period cycle in women.

What did the study say? The study, published in BMJ Medicine, has revealed that on average, vaccinated individuals have experienced a one-day delay in their menstrual cycle as compared to those who did not get vaccinated.

• For the study, data collected from almost 20,000 women were examined.
• Out of the total sample, 14,936 were vaccinated and 4,686 were not.
• The team of researchers studied three consecutive cycles before the vaccination and one cycle after.

It was observed that:

• Cycles were increased by 0.71 days after the first dose.
• After the second dose, the cycles increased by 0.56 days.

The exceptions: It was also observed that those who received both shots within the same cycle faced major changes to their periods. These women observed a delay of four days in their menstrual cycle on an average.

Some 100 people experienced a delay of eight days and even more.

However, it is not yet clear exactly how vaccination impacts one’s menstrual cycle.

Dr Alison Edelman is the paper’s lead author.

The many factors that impact your menstrual cycle: A number of factors can affect a woman’s monthly cycle. Some of these include stress, change in the level of physical activity, diet changes, fluctuation in body weight and much more. Slight changes in hormones can also delay or expedite one’s menstrual cycle. Not just the date of your cycle; these factors can also affect the length of your periods, intensity of the flow and the number of days you bleed.

So, there is a minor possibility that some other factors have also impacted one’s menstrual cycle.

Should you be worried? Well, the answer is a no, till now. Researchers have not highlighted any relation between Covid vaccine shots and menstrual cycle that can be a cause of concern.

Minor fluctuations in the menstrual cycle are normal. But if you miss your period or observe any major change in your cycle, it is wise to seek medical help at the earliest.