DNA Explainer: Do COVID-19 vaccines affect your periods? Here's all you need to know

As the COVID-19 vaccination drive is in full swing, a very common question lingering in minds of women is that if there a link between the vaccine and periods.

Experts are quashing claims that say vaccination affects the menstrual cycle and said that there is no such scientific evidence to prove that and it’s a baseless post being circulated on social media. 

While, the answer is it is not known yet, but researchers are starting to study the issue. According to an Associated Press report, vaccines are designed to activate your immune system, and some experts have wondered if that could temporarily disrupt menstrual cycles.

So far, reports of irregular bleeding after getting a COVID-19 vaccine have been anecdotal. And it’s hard to draw any direct links to the vaccines since changes could be the result of other factors including stress, diet and exercise habits.

According to a report in Boom, gynecologists say that there is no data, so far that suggests a woman’s immunity will get hampered on taking the COVID-19 vaccination. However, the experts say that there is a lack of research on post-vaccination effects on the menstrual cycle. 

"The benefits of taking the vaccine certainly way outweigh putting up with one heavy period, if indeed they're related," said Dr Mary Jane Minkin, a gynecologist and a professor at the Yale University School of Medicine.

There's no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, affect fertility, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Earlier, a viral post was being forwarded on WhatsApp, claiming that women should not take vaccines five days before and after their period cycle.

The social media post claimed that women should not take vaccines five days before or after their periods as their "immunity is very less" during periods.

The government's fact-checking wing PIB Fact Check took to Twitter and said, "#Fake post circulating on social media claims that women should not take #COVID19Vaccine 5 days before and after their menstrual cycle. Don't fall for rumours!"

#Fake post circulating on social media claims that women should not take #COVID19Vaccine 5 days before and after their menstrual cycle.

Don't fall for rumours!

All people above 18 should get vaccinated after May 1. Registration starts on April 28 on https://t.co/61Oox5pH7x pic.twitter.com/JMxoxnEFsy

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) April 24, 2021

Doctor Faheem Younus, Chief of Infectious Diseases at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH), Maryland USA, has a tweet debunking this fake claim that the COVID-19 vaccine should not be taken around periods.

Myth: COVID Vaccine will cause female/male infertility or don’t take it around periods or other reproductive fears...

Fact: It’s Nonsense. There is no scientific data to suggest this.

NO ONE should be afraid of the vaccine except the VIRUS:) pic.twitter.com/sk9hvp26Fa

— Faheem Younus, MD (@FaheemYounus) April 24, 2021

“Myth: COVID Vaccine will cause female/male infertility or don’t take it around periods or other reproductive fears… Fact: It’s Nonsense. There is no scientific data to suggest this. NO ONE should be afraid of the vaccine except the VIRUS,” he tweeted.