Does Covid-19 Affect Periods? Researchers Close In on Answers

It’s Tiffany in New York, here to confirm that it’s not just you: Covid really might have messed with your period. But first...

Social taboos often silence discussions about menstrual cycles. For much of history, this perfectly normal biological process has spurred bizarre mythologies that suggested a woman’s period was akin to contamination. A menstruating woman could turn wine into vinegar, make mayonnaise curdle or cause ham to go bad.

These taboos around menstrual cycles have done more than shame women — they have also stymied an understanding how their hormonal systems work. Covid, though, has made that time of the month a more frequent topic of conversation, at least among women wondering if an anomalous cycle was the result of the virus, or the vaccines that aim to prevent it.