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Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Flu Vaccines May Slightly Disrupt Your Menstrual Cycle
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Getting a flu shot may affect your menstrual cycle, a study has revealed—although the change is temporary and typically very minor. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University found that women who received the influenza vaccine experienced a small increase in the length of their menstrual cycle—on average, less than a single day. The full findings of the study were published in the journal JAMA Network Open. What Is the Flu Shot? The influenza (flu) vaccine is a seasonal injection designed to protect against the most common strains of the flu virus each year. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vaccine helps your body build immunity, reducing the severity of illness and lowering the risk of flu-related complications. A stock image showing a woman tracking her menstrual cycle. A stock image showing a woman tracking her menstrual cycle. Antonio_Diaz/iStock / Getty Images Plus What Did the Study Find? The researchers analyzed data on 1,501 individuals who reported regular menstrual cycles. Of those, 791 received the flu shot alone, while 710 received both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time. Most participants were under 35, lived in the U.S. or Canada and held at least a college degree. Both groups experienced a small, temporary increase in cycle length: Flu shot only : An average increase of 0.4 days : An average increase of 0.4 days Flu + COVID-19 shot: An average increase of 0.49 days These changes were most noticeable in people who were vaccinated during the first half of their menstrual cycle—the follicular phase. Those vaccinated during the second half—the luteal phase—did not experience any change. Notably, a small subset of participants (around 5 percent) experienced a more noticeable shift of eight days or more in their cycle length. However, menstrual cycles returned to normal by the next cycle in all cases. Why This Matters Though the changes were minor and temporary, they highlight an important aspect of public health: transparency and trust. Menstrual health is a routine and significant part of life for many people. A sudden or unexplained change—especially following vaccination—can understandably spark anxiety, particularly around fertility. While the slight shift found in this study isn't cause for medical concern, it can still have a meaningful emotional and practical impact on those who experience it. This research helps address a critical gap in vaccine science. For decades, there has been little to no data on how vaccines, like the flu shot, affect menstrual cycles. The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on this issue, as many people reported changes in their cycles post-vaccination. This study builds on that work by showing that even long-established vaccines like the flu shot can have a temporary effect. Concerns about how vaccines might affect the menstrual cycle aren't new—and Japan offers a striking example of how these fears can have lasting consequences. In 2013, the Japanese government suspended its HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination program after reports emerged that some young women were experiencing menstrual changes and other side effects. The concern was that the vaccine might harm fertility, even though there was no solid scientific evidence to support this. Before the scare, about 70 percent of eligible girls were getting the HPV vaccine. After the reports spread, that number plummeted to less than 1 percent. Even now, over a decade later, vaccination rates remain low in Japan, and trust in the program hasn't fully recovered. The real-world impact has been devastating: Experts estimate that around 10,000 preventable deaths from cervical cancer could occur in Japan over the next 50 years as a result of this drop in vaccine uptake. Other countries' HPV programs were also negatively affected due to the international spread of vaccine fears. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about asteroids? Let us know via science@ Reference Boniface, E. R., Darney, B. G., van Lamsweerde, A., Benhar, E., Alvergne, A., & Edelman, A. (2025). Menstrual cycle length changes following vaccination against influenza alone or with COVID-19. JAMA Network Open, 8(4), e257871.
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Reason Woman Gave Stepdaughter, 11, Painkillers Without Telling Dad Backed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Children are often taught not to keep secrets from their parents, but the roles were reversed when a young girl confided in her stepmom instead. In a viral Reddit post gathering more than 9,300 upvotes and shared by u/nightowlbibliophile, the stepmother wrote: "She made me promise not to tell her dad, which I agreed to." The 11-year-old's secret was that she had started her period while her mom was on vacation and she was staying at her dad and stepmom's house. According to the CDC and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the average age at menarche (the first menstrual period) in the United States is 12 years old. The 29-year-old woman said: "[She] was in a lot of pain, and was using toilet paper as a makeshift pad. Even with my assurances that starting your period is nothing to be embarrassed about, she still didn't want me to tell her dad." Stock image: A teenager experiencing menstrual pain and abdominal cramps drinks herbal tea on the sofa. Stock image: A teenager experiencing menstrual pain and abdominal cramps drinks herbal tea on the sofa. Antonio_Diaz/iStock / Getty Images Plus "I ran to the store to get her some different pad options, a heating pad, and some chocolate. As promised, I didn't tell her dad. I just said I was running to the store to grab some snacks for myself and his daughter," the poster wrote. "His daughter continued to have bad cramps even with the heating pad, so I gave her two Midol tablets. About 90 minutes later she was feeling a lot better. I gave her two additional Midol tablets when she woke up the next morning with cramps." According to the Midol website, the medication is recommended for adults and children aged 12 years or older. When the girl's mom returned from vacation, she was immediately informed about the situation, although her reaction to the medication was not mentioned. However, the Reddit user's partner was less understanding when he was made aware of the situation by his ex. "He's furious with me for not telling him about what he called a 'medical condition' and for giving his daughter [over-the-counter] medications without his approval," the poster said. "I told him I wanted his daughter to be able to trust me so she will be comfortable coming to me in the future with things that she might be embarrassed to tell her dad about. "I also told him that if there was something going on that required medical attention, I absolutely would have told him, but this was just her starting her period. He's still p*****, mainly about me giving her the Midol." Newsweek reached out to u/nightowlbibliophile for comment. We could not verify the details of the case. Expert Opinion Newsweek discussed the April 22 post with Seth Eisenberg, a licensed PAIRS Trainer and president/CEO at PAIRS Foundation. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healthy relationships through education, research, and training. Eisenberg said: "When a child trusts a stepparent enough to share something deeply personal, like starting their first period, that trust is precious—and fragile. "Honoring their privacy in nonemergency situations can be a powerful gift," Eisenberg added. "Offering simple comfort, like a heating pad or Midol, isn't just about easing pain; it's about saying, 'You're safe. You're cared for.' In blended families, love often begins with small moments of kindness and respect." Reddit Reacts As of now, the post has garnered more than 3,700 comments. One comment, with 5,600 likes, said: "His ridiculous reaction, as well as calling a period a 'medical condition' is probably why his daughter doesn't want to tell him things. She can already sense he's not emotionally safe, and she'll only close off from him more if he keeps this behavior up." Another user added: "As the Dad who handled my daughter beginning her period without help from her mother (my ex at the time) or my gf [girlfriend] who did not live with us, I would be thankful that my daughter felt comfortable with you and you quietly helped her. Your bf [boyfriend] is being a j*** at best." A third commenter said: "I understand a tiny bit about the Midol, however, you did what was best for his daughter in the moment. She wasn't ready to talk about this with a man and you were there and being kind. It's a good thing." If you have a family dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
