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Publications

Journal Article Review Epublish

PubMed: 40524715 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.70882

Impact of COVID-19 Vaccination on Menstrual Irregularities, Bleeding Patterns, and Cycle Duration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Health Sci Rep 8(6):e70882

Authors: Ganesh Bushi, Abhay M Gaidhane, Nasir Vadia, Soumya V Menon, Kattela Chennakesavulu, Rajashree Panigrahi, Muhammed Shabil, Diptismita Jena, Harish Kumar, Anju Rani, Sanjit Sah, Shivam Rohilla, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Khang Wen Goh

Affiliations

  • Chitkara Centre for Research and Development Chitkara University Himachal Pradesh India.
  • School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Lovely Professional University Phagwara India.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, and Global Health Academy, School of Epidemiology and Public Health Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education Wardha India.
  • Marwadi University Research Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences Marwadi University Rajkot Gujarat India.
  • Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Sciences JAIN (Deemed to be University) Bangalore Karnataka India.
  • Department of Chemistry Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology Chennai Tamil Nadu India.
  • Department of Microbiology, IMS and SUM Hospital Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University) Bhubaneswar Odisha India.
  • University Center for Research and Development Chandigarh University Mohali Punjab India.
  • Centre of Research Impact and Outcome Chitkara University Rajpura Punjab India.
  • Division of Research and Innovation Uttaranchal University Dehradun India.
  • New Delhi Institute of Management New Delhi India.
  • Department of Microbiology Graphic Era (Deemed to be University) Dehradun India.
  • Graphic Era Hill University, Clement Town Dehradun India.
  • Department of Pediatrics, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (Deemed-to-be-University) Pune Maharashtra India.
  • Department of Public Health Dentistry, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (Deemed-to-be-University) Pune Maharashtra India.
  • SR Sanjeevani Hospital Kalyanpur Siraha Nepal.
  • Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology Greater Noida India.
  • Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University Chennai India.
  • Faculty of Data Science and Information Technology INTI International University Nilai Malaysia.
  • Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Universitas Negeri Padang Padang Indonesia.

Abstract

Background

COVID-19 vaccination has raised concerns regarding its potential effects on women's reproductive health, particularly menstrual irregularities. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on menstrual disturbances, bleeding patterns, and cycle duration among women of reproductive age.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted up to April 11, 2025. The study protocol was registered with the PROSPERO (CRD42024500832). Studies reporting menstrual changes postvaccination in women aged 13-50 were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. Meta-analyses using random-effects models were conducted in R (version 4.3), with heterogeneity assessed using the I² statistic.

Results

Out of 586 records, 43 studies comprising 747,763 women met the inclusion criteria. The pooled RR for menstrual disturbances in vaccinated versus unvaccinated women was 1.03 (95% CI: 0.67-1.57; p = 0.88), indicating no significant association. Excluding one outlier increased the RR to 1.14 (95% CI: 0.97-1.34; p = 0.08). The overall pooled prevalence of menstrual disturbances postvaccination was 34% (95% CI: 26%-43%). Among vaccinated women, lighter bleeding was reported in 12.6%, heavier bleeding in 15.1%, irregular menstruation in 19.0%, and regular cycles in 56.6%. Shortened cycles occurred in 8.5%, longer cycles in 9.3%, amenorrhea (≥ 24 days) in 9.2%, and infrequent cycles (> 38 days) in 11.0%. All analyses showed high heterogeneity (I² = 98%-100%). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of findings, though Egger's test indicated potential publication bias (p = 0.0384).

Conclusion

COVID-19 vaccination was not significantly associated with an increased risk of menstrual disturbances. Although minor changes such as altered bleeding patterns and cycle length were observed in some women, the overall impact on menstrual health was minimal.

MeSH

Menstrual Cycle, Hemorrhage, Vaccines, Reproductive Health, Vaccination, Covid-19, Menstruation Disturbances