Menstrual Irregularities in Adolescents Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Literature Review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused more than 620 million diseases and 6.5 million deaths worldwide as of September 2022, according to World Health Organization (WHO). Today we know that, its effect on the respiratory and nervous systems. Vessels (endothelium), myocardium, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and other organs are also affected. However, the impact of COVID-19 on the reproductive system and subsequent changes in the menstrual cycle insufficiently explored. The goal of the review is to study the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the female reproductive system, in particular on the menstrual cycle of adolescent girls. The review includes clinical studies aimed at studying the impact of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) on reproductive function in adolescent girls. We searched for data in PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library search engines. Searching PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases using keywords, 514 studies were found. Further, 42 articles were screened. During the selection, 30 articles were examined, selected by title and abstract of studies over the past few years. A full-text analysis of the selected studies was performed, as a result of which 11 studies were eligible for a qualitative synthesis