Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination and menstrual cycle changes: A cross-sectional study on females of reproductive age in Saudi Arabia

Data supporting the evidence of changes in the menstrual cycle and premenstrual symptoms associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is quite scarce. To determine the association between COVID-19 vaccination and menstrual cycle changes and its relationship with different types of vaccines among women of reproductive age in Abha City, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2022 to June 2022, among participants from Asser region of Saudi Arabia by using a self-administered questionnaire through an electronic survey. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16.0. Among 1208 study subjects, majority (66.9%) of females had menarche at the age of <13 years, 17.2% had irregular periods, and 24.8% reported an average regularity of periods (23-35 days). A statistically significant association was found among females who experienced a change in their menstrual cycle after receiving COVID-19 vaccine. Mood swings and lower back pain were common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Only 15% females reported a delay in conception. Out of 176 females, 40% showed 6 month delay in conception after receiving vaccine. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, regularity of periods, and usual volume of bleeding were significantly associated with changes in the menstrual cycle after vaccination. The relationship between COVID-19 vaccine and associated changes on the menstrual cycle and premenstrual syndrome was established in our study. Further research is needed to produce concrete evidence regarding its relationship to eliminate vaccine hesitancy among women.