Fake claims about periods and the vaccine - BBC

[AgnesNaismith]

Covid's lasting impact on NHS and mix-and-match vaccine effects [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57094225]]

#4

vaccine: Period changes could be a harmless side effect [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56901353]]

The ‘reality check’ team have looked into claims about the vaccine affecting periods. BBC have decided the title the piece ‘fake claims about periods and the vaccine’ yet go on to explain that this has happened to 1000s of women and is likely not fake.

Again, women’s issues are described as fake where they quite obviously aren’t. Would the same language would be used were men to have concerns over erectile dysfunction?

Disclaimer: this is not an anti-vax post

I think if you read down, it has been recorded as a part of the immune response and temporary. I don't think they are marginalising it.

No and I think the article is pretty good actually...my problem is that you have to read down. At first glance the BBC are saying these claims are fake, that is the title you click through to get to the article.

I can't read your links, Agnes. Something weird has happened with the formatting I think, at least on my browser. Could you try relinking?

Current headline is “True Stories, fake claims about periods and the vaccine” which seems well balanced. Possible that they’ve had complaints and changed it to something more accurate.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56901353

Ah sorry about that! It’s on the homepage under ‘Coronavirus Explained’ here:

www.bbc.co.uk/news

But they aren’t fake claims?

Thank you both!

They aren't fake claims but women who speak about it will get labeled anti vaxer Karens. We can't win.

The “fake claims” referred to are that the vaccine causes period changes and miscarriage, even amongst women who haven’t had it but are mixing with people who have.

It's not just "early, heavy or painful periods" it's late or missed periods too. I am now on CD 37, ten days late. Pregnancy test negative a couple of days ago. I'm normally regular as clockwork.

The story quotes FWR hero Jen Gunter who makes her usual good points.

It seems to me that it might have a different effect depending on what phase of your cycle you are in when you have it.

I assume most of the women who have reported these concerning side effects (that no one warned us about as though sudden heavy vaginal bleeding has no ramifications) are mostly 30+ and of course women 30+ have all "hit a wall" and are expendables so no doubt the only people who will care about this will be us.

BBC is saying Period changes could be a harmless side effect.

Does that mean they also could be a serious side effect?

A timely read for feminists:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4800017/

I'm sure I read on the BBC a few weeks back a very patronising piece about the vaccine and periods which boiled down to periods can vary and women are over reacting and being silly and there's no problem stop worrying.

I read a BBC thing the other day saying it may affect periods...

Same old same old. Women are hypochondriac, hysterical etc. Then some time later... Oh there may be something going on...

Hmph.

I definitely found my period after the AZ vaccine was heavier, more painful and lasted longer than usual.

I'm strongly of the opinion that womens healthcare both academically and in practice is awful and women's health concerns are virtually always treated as lesser importance to that of men. I know women (myself included) who have had to take their husbands or brothers into doctors clinics with them before their own health concerns or their intuition about their childs health would be taken seriously. So it doesn't surprise me that impact on womens fertility cycles are not only dismissed and treated in a patronising manner by the media (the very same way headlines about women giving birth in their later years are) but also not even considered in the development of this vaccine.

@NiceGerbil

I'm sure I read on the BBC a few weeks back a very patronising piece about the vaccine and periods which boiled down to periods can vary and women are over reacting and being silly and there's no problem stop worrying.

I read a BBC thing the other day saying it may affect periods...

Same old same old. Women are hypochondriac, hysterical etc. Then some time later... Oh there may be something going on...

Hmph.

Did it say just women are over reacting?

What about transmen who get periods? Did it say they would be over reacting and silly too? I doubt it. The angle would have been much, much different. Genuine suffering, and one more thing in their oppressed lives to have to deal with.

It pretty much did.

No they used women to mean women in the old meaning as they pretty much always do when it's front page stuff.

Hmm, to be fair to them transmen are mentioned in the above article...and menopausal women, which is part of the proof this is affecting biological women - or women, as I like to call them.

I'll be honest, it does worry me that the vaccine seems to affect periods so much. Surely that's something quite major going on with hormones that should be investigated? I'll want children in the next few years and I do worry. I won't go on the pill or anything as just don't see it's a good idea to mess about with a body that works. Would never have thought I'd say this about vaccinations... can someone sciencey and sensible please put my mind at rest!

@ParkingFeud the article suggests it is inflammation due to immune response...but I’m not sure anyone knows for sure quite yet. If it helps, anecdotally it has only affected the first cycle of most people I know.

After the second Pfizer vaccine, the menopausal hot flushes that had finally dwindled down to about 3 a day after years of about 40 of the sodding things every day, suddenly increased again dramatically. I was discussing it with a friend who said her friend had had the same thing and was going to tell her what I’d said. They must have an effect on hormones to do that and mess with the menstruated cycle. I know the scientists on the ZOE app are looking into it.

Thanks @AgnesNaismith that is reassuring. I think I'm still quite a way off for the moment as in mid 20s.

I had a recurrence of pst menopausal spotting two days after my first jab. I had a procedure last November to remove polyps and to take a sample of womb lining. It was clear. No bleeding or anything since.

Unfortunately, due to the recent spotting I'm having to undergo the whole procedure again next week - under general anaesthetic. It is no small thing.

Argh @Justhadathought I hope you’ve reported. I’m so sorry you have to have the procedure again and deal with waiting for results