Menstrual cycles altered by stress of Covid confinement, study suggests

Stress caused by pandemic confinement altered women's menstruation, according to a new study entitled 'Effects of confinement due to SARS-Covid-19 on the menstrual pattern', carried out by doctors from Barcelona's Hospital Sant Pau. 

The research concludes that changes in emotional state due to home confinement during the health emergency "significantly" influenced menstrual disorders.

Conversely, the duration and intensity of isolation or exposure to disease did not.

The study is led by two gynecologists from Hospital Sant Pau and is based on almost 5,000 responses from women aged between 15 and 55.

Responses were gathered through a WhatsApp survey conducted between March 14 and May 2, 2020, among menstruating people, while those who had been infected with Covid-19 were excluded.

The analysis was also limited to the responses of women who did not use hormonal contraception, since this regulates the cycle.

After analyzing the responses, doctors saw how the women who had more stress due to confinement were the ones who experienced the greatest changes to their cycle, such as the absence or delay of menstruation, or heavy bleeding.

In total, the study received 6,499 answers but 4,989 were valid for the final analysis.

Quality of life associated with menstruation worsened for 19% of women, was unchanged in 71.7% of cases, and improved for 1.6%.

For 50.1% of women, the overall quality of life worsened during confinement, it remained the same for 41.3%, and improved for 8.7%.

The research concludes that menstrual changes related to stressors of confinement and the pandemic were "few but significant."

In addition, it was found that there is a "significant" relationship between the intensity of psychological stress and the incidence of menstrual changes.