Testimonials from women are showing that not only do they feel stronger side effects from the vaccine, their menstrual cycles have been getting impacted as well. Women have reported getting irregular periods that have been heavier and more painful.
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Vaccine testimonials
On 24 February, Dr. Kate Clancy, an associate professor at the University of Illinois, started a twitter thread asking women if they have noticed irregularities in their periods after taking the COVID jabs. She tweeted:
A colleague told me she has heard from others that their periods were heavy post-vax. 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.
Although she tweeted several weeks ago, the thread is still buzzing with women sharing their own post-vaccine period stories. A woman replied to the thread and wrote:
I have an IUD and haven’t had a period in years, but am having cramps and spotting today (1st dose Pfizer was yesterday). No big deal, absolutely worth it, but strange!
Another woman tweeted:
Two weeks exactly after shot number 2, my cycle started 12 days earlier and heavier that it’s been for the last three years.
Given the overwhelming response, and lack of research about this side effect, Dr. Clancy has started her own survey to analyse the connection and find out whether one of the side effects of the vaccine is in fact menstrual irregularities.
Causes of irregular periods
However, some experts believe that it is not the jab that is responsible for irregular, painful and heavy periods, but the side effects that come with it. Refinery 29 spoke with gynaecologist, Dr. Heather Bartos, who explained that women who get fever after getting pricked are more likely to experiencepainful periods. She also mentioned that stress could be the root cause of their menstrual fluctuations. She said:
Just the stress of the pandemic, people have come in with menstrual irregularities, not having periods
I always say, a one-off or a two-off period is not a concern. But when it gets to be a three, four, five, they’re all different, that’s a little more concerning.
