Since the start of the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, anecdotal reports have suggested a connection between the vaccines and menstrual irregularities. The reports led to vaccine hesitancy as many women believed the shots could impact their fertility – although there is no evidence to suggest any adverse effect on fertility.
While certain side effects were common and expected, experts called for further investigation into reported menstrual changes following vaccination.
In an editorial in The British Medical Journal, Dr Victoria Male, a reproductive specialist at Imperial College London, wrote that changes in periods or unexpected vaginal bleeding were not listed as common side effects of Covid-19 vaccination, despite 30 000 reports to the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) by 2 September.
