The Effect of COVID-19 on Menstrual Cycle of Women of Child-bearing Age

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on the menstrual cycle of women of childbearing age.

Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on females of reproductive age, specifically aged between 15 and 49 years, residing in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad from January 2022 to June 2022. Informed consent was obtained from each participant before data collection. A structured questionnaire was administered to gather relevant data, and SPSS version 26 was employed for data analysis. A significance level of 0.05 was used for all statistical tests. The outcome variables included the frequency of menstrual cycle changes, such as increased and decreased menstrual cycle length, dysmenorrhea, decreased menstrual volume, menorrhagia, and intermittent bleeding. These variables were further analyzed for their association with relevant demographic factors, including age, location, occupation, marital status, and number of children.

Results: Out of the total 297 women, 127 (42.8%) reported experiencing changes in their menstrual cycle. Among them, 59 reported an increase in cycle length, 41 reported hypomenorrhea, and only 9 observed inter-menstrual bleeding. The associations of these menstrual cycle changes were found to be significant with age, occupation, marital status, and number of children (p-value < 0.05)

Conclusion: This study concludes that COVID-19 infection does have an impact on women's menstrual cycles, potentially affecting female reproductive health in various ways. The findings emphasize the need to consider the reproductive health aspect of coronavirus infections, especially given the continuous evolution of the virus and the likelihood of successive waves of COVID-19 infections.