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STATEN ISLAND, NY – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded additional one-year grants totaling $ 1.67 million to five institutions to explore potential links between coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination and menstrual changes.
The studies come after some women reported having irregular, missing, or heavier periods after the vaccine.
New NIH grants support research to determine whether such changes may be related to the COVID-19 vaccination itself and how long those changes last. Researchers will also seek to clarify the mechanisms underlying potential menstrual changes related to the vaccine.
“These rigorous scientific studies will improve our understanding of the potential effects of COVID-19 vaccines on menstruation, giving people who are menstruating more information about what to expect after vaccination and potentially reducing reluctance to vaccination, ”said Dr. Diana W. Bianchi, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), which funded the grants with the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health.
WHAT CAN CAUSE MENSTRUAL CYCLE CHANGES?
Many factors can cause temporary changes in the menstrual cycle, which is regulated by complex interactions between tissues, cells and hormones in the body, according to the NIH.
Immune responses to a COVID-19 vaccine could affect the interaction between immune cells and signals in the uterus, causing temporary changes in the menstrual cycle, the NIH said. Other factors that can cause menstrual changes include stress from the pandemic, lifestyle changes from the pandemic and infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), a indicated the agency.
The new studies will build on existing research to harness data from menstrual tracking applications to assess the potential impacts of COVID-19 vaccination on menstrual health. Research will also track this based on geographic locations and within racially and ethnically diverse populations. And one project will focus specifically on adolescents.
“Researchers will assess the prevalence and severity of post-vaccination changes in menstrual characteristics, including flow, cycle length, pain, and other symptoms,” the NIH said on its website. “These analyzes will take into account other factors that may affect menstruation, such as stress, medications and exercise, to determine if the changes are attributable to the vaccination. Several projects are also seeking to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the potential effects of COVID-19 vaccines on the menstrual cycle by examining the immune and hormonal characteristics of blood, tissue and saliva samples taken before and after COVID-19 vaccination. “
The following institutions will conduct the research:
- Boston University; Principal Investigator: Lauren A. Wise, Sc.D.
- Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts; Principal Investigator: Laura Allen Payne, Ph.D.
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; Principal investigator: Mostafa Borahay, Ph.D.
- Michigan State University, East Lansing; Principal Investigator: Stacey Ann Missmer, Sc.D.
- Oregon University of Health and Sciences, Portland; Principal Investigator: Alison B. Edelman, MD
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