The new research affirms what many individuals had reported. But it also shows the changes to the menstrual cycle are mostly minor and brief, more akin to a sore arm than a dangerous reaction.
There's long been opposition to the practice of forcing a woman on her period to menstrual exile in a hut, which can be unsafe and unsanitary. One charity has a new interim response: upgrade the huts.
Some people have reported getting a lighter or heavier period after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Cause for concern? Doctors say no. Could it be a temporary side effect? That's harder to determine.
That's the question that researcher Inga Winkler of Columbia University asks. She shares advice on how to overcome feelings of shame and embarrassment about menstruation.