Considering that infertility affects approximately 15% of the global couples of reproductive age, it is understandable that the average person would wonder what effect does the COVID-19 vaccines have on their reproductive health [1,2]. However, misinformation about the effects of COVID-19 on infertility has evolved into a malicious myth.
Geoff Brumfiel, a writer for npr.org, along with assistance from the internet research firm Graphika, were able to trace the origins of this myth. They found that the plausible root of this myth originated in spring 2021, where according to Alice Lu-Culligan, a MD-Ph.D. candidate who studies the immune system and reproductive health, a lot of women noticed a heavier menstrual period after receiving the vaccine. Lu-Culligan further stated that this observation makes sense, considering the immune system plays a role in menstruation, thus the vaccine could temporarily alter the process [3].
Another survey done by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, also found that thousands of women also had an unusually heavy flow after being vaccinated, thus again suggesting that there is a link between the immune system and menstruation. However, a definitive causal link between the two has remained difficult to undertake [3].
As a result of this link being fragmentary, many anti-vaccine advocates jumped at the opportunity, and in many online forums and groups chatter surrounding the topic emerged. The myth gained more steam after Ms. Naomi Wolf, an anti-vaccine campaigner, tweeted a link to a Facebook group with the unfounded claim that “Hundreds of women on this page say that they are having bleeding/clotting after vaccination, or that they bleed oddly AROUND vaccinated women. Unconfirmed, needs more investigation, but lots of reports.”
Wolf further tweeted questions pertaining to whether the vaccines can cause infertility and miscarriages. In the subsequent days, other online influencers picked up her cause and eventually the myth emerged in mainstream media. It then morphed and branched off into other forms, stating that the vaccine can accumulate in the ovaries and the vaccine could attack the placenta [4]. Recently, a tweet from Nicki Minaj about her cousin’s friend’s testicles in Trinidad, also added more fuel to this myth [5].
The Truth
Long answer short, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S.A, the United Kingdom National Health Services (NHS) and a host of other global health bodies, all resoundingly state, that the COVID-19 vaccines do not affect fertility in males or females, nor should it discourage anyone from trying to conceive [6,7].
Men
Being a bit more targeted, a study found that a cohort of healthy men who received two doses of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, experienced no significant difference in their sperm concentration, total motile sperm count, semen volume or sperm motility [8]. Thus, strongly suggesting that the vaccines had no effect on the viability of their sperm cells. However, the study is admittedly limited by the small size of its cohort, short follow-up period and a lack of a suitable control group. Moreover, even though semen analysis is a good indicator for male fertility, it is not a perfect predictor [8]. Interestingly, men who are infected by COVID-19 may suffer potential testicular damage and potential erectile dysfunction [9,10]. Therefore, the risk that COVID-19 infection poses to male reproductive health is greater than the risk posed by the vaccine.
Women
As stated earlier, there does seem to be a link between menstruation and vaccinations. A study in Japan even showed that upon being vaccinated against Human Papilloma virus (HPV), the female participants also experienced changes in their menstrual cycle [11]. Hence, this change seen in women after the COVID-19 vaccine is probably simply due to what appears to be a regular immune response to a vaccine. Fortunately, according to a BMJ article written by Dr. Victoria Male, a Lecturer at Imperial College London, these changes or disruptions seem to be short-lived [12].
In terms of pregnancy, one study found that there was no difference in embryo implantation or early embryo development after COVID-19 vaccination or recovering from COVID-19 [13]. In addition, another study further supported that there was no difference in the rate of accidental pregnancies in the control group and vaccinated group during the COVID-19 vaccine trials, therefore demonstrating that the vaccines do not lead to sterility in women [14]. Conversely, infection due to COVID-19 was shown to increase the risk of pregnant women experiencing preterm births and also increased the likelihood that newborns are admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit [15].
Overall, in terms of fertility, getting vaccinated helps to preserve reproductive health. It is admittedly true that the long term effects of the vaccines still appear to be unknown, but historically, vaccine monitoring has shown that any long-term effects of a vaccine show up within the first six weeks of being administered [16]. Fortunately for us, this time period has already elapsed.
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Written by: Renard
Edited by: María and Natasha
BioDecoded is a volunteer group committed to sharing accurate scientific information. We cannot offer any specific health advice. If you have any doubts about getting vaccinated due to previous health conditions, please speak with your healthcare professional or family physician. Your doctor can revise your medical history and advise you on the best path to follow. If you have any questions about this topic, please comment or send them to our email.
References:
T, G. et al. (2017) “Infertility in the Global South: Raising awareness and generating insights for policy and practice”, Facts, views & vision in ObGyn, 9(1), p. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28721183/
Kurabayashi, T. et al. (2016) “Ovarian infertility is associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in later life: A Japanese cross-sectional study”, Maturitas, 83, pp. 33-39. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378512215300505
NPR Cookie Consent and Choices (2021). Available at: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/07/20/1016912079/the-life-cycle-of-a-covid-19-vaccine-lie?t=1636907781920 (Accessed: 8 December 2021).
Covid vaccine: Fertility and miscarriage claims fact-checked (2021). Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-57552527 (Accessed: 8 December 2021).
Tweet can be found at: https://twitter.com/nickiminaj/status/1437532566945341441 (Accessed: 8 December 2021)
COVID-19 Vaccines for people who would like to have a baby. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/planning-for-pregnancy.html (Accessed: 8 December 2021).
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, fertility and coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination (2021). Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/pregnancy-breastfeeding-fertility-and-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination/ (Accessed: 8 December 2021).
Gonzalez, D. et al. (2021) “Sperm Parameters Before and After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination”, JAMA, 326(3), p. 273. Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2781360
Khalili, M. et al. (2020) “Male Fertility and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review of the Literature”, The World Journal of Men’s Health, 38(4), p. 506. Available at: https://wjmh.org/DOIx.php?id=10.5534/wjmh.200134
Hsieh, T. et al. (2021) “The Epidemic of COVID-19-Related Erectile Dysfunction: A Scoping Review and Health Care Perspective”, Sexual Medicine Reviews. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8450276/
Suzuki, S. and Hosono, A. (2018) “No association between HPV vaccine and reported post-vaccination symptoms in Japanese young women: Results of the Nagoya study”, Papillomavirus Research, 5, pp. 96-103. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29481964/
Male, V. (2021) “Menstrual changes after covid-19 vaccination”, BMJ, p. n2211. Available at: https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2211
Morris, R. (2021) “SARS-CoV-2 spike protein seropositivity from vaccination or infection does not cause sterility”, F&S Reports, 2(3), pp. 253-255. Available at: https://www.fertstertreports.org/article/S2666-3341(21)00068-4/fulltext
Male, V. (2021) “Are COVID-19 vaccines safe in pregnancy?”, Nature Reviews Immunology, 21(4), pp. 200-201. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-021-00525-y
Allotey, J. et al. (2020) “Clinical manifestations, risk factors, and maternal and perinatal outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnancy: living systematic review and meta-analysis”, BMJ, p. m3320. Available at: https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3320
Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines. (2020). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/safety-of-vaccines.html (Accessed: 8 December 2021).
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