{
  "abstract": "Background Women have reported abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evaluating AUB among women living with HIV (WWH) and women without HIV (WWoH) during the COVID-19 pandemic is key to understanding reproductive health in the setting of viral co-infections. Methods From 2021 to 2023, the Study of Treatment and Reproductive Outcomes (STAR) collected cross-sectional data from WWH and WWoH 18–45 years-of-age across the southern United States without conditions known to interfere with menses. Women completed surveys on COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccination, AUB (spotting, missed periods, early/late periods), stress, and demographics. We tested plasma from participants at two study sites for COVID-19 antibodies. We defined “prior SARS-CoV-2 infection” as having detectable anti-nucleocapsid antibodies or a self-reported positive COVID-19 test. We examined AUB in association with COVID-19 vaccination and infection stratified by HIV status. Results Among 188 eligible women, 61% were living with HIV, 49% had AUB, and 58% were vaccinated for COVID-19. When assessed via combined self-report and antibody tests (n = 86), 69% of women had prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. There were no differences in AUB, COVID-19 vaccination, or SARS-CoV-2 infection by HIV status. Among the entire sample of WWoH (n = 73), AUB was associated with lower age (32 vs. 35, p = 0.04) and higher perceived stress (17 vs. 13, p = 0.04), and AUB was more common in WWoH who self-reported a positive COVID-19 test versus WWoH without (70% vs. 43%, p = 0.03). AUB was not associated with COVID-19 vaccination, body mass index, race, or ethnicity. In WWoH with antibody testing (n = 42), AUB remained more common among WWoH with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection versus WWoH without (61% vs. 27%, p = 0.05). Among WWH, no variables were associated with AUB. Conclusions In this hypothesis-generating, descriptive study, AUB was associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, stress, and age among WWoH, but not among WWH. There was no association between AUB and COVID-19 vaccination.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami",
    "Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Miami",
    "Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill",
    "Department of Epidemiology, John Hopkins University",
    "Schools of Nursing, Medicine and Population Health, University of Mississippi Medical Center",
    "School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine",
    "School of Medicine, Georgetown University",
    "Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 12,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Emily M. Cherenack"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Suresh Pallikkuth"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Patricia Racchamarich"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Nicholas F. Nogueira"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Daniel Westreich"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Elizabeth F. Topper"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Deborah Konkle-Parker"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Aadia I. Rana"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Seble G. Kassaye"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Anandi N. Sheth"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Deborah L. Jones"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Maria L. Alcaide"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5btqyjyaekmmb.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1186/s12879-026-14029-4",
  "fulltext_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-026-14029-4",
  "id": "5btqyjyaekmmb",
  "issns": [
    "1471-2334"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-026-14029-4",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "RC109-216"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2729|COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7169852596",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-07-01",
  "publisher": "BMC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5btqyjyaekmmb.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:45:35Z",
      "native_id": "7a447cc94cde4f8099db37bdaf24d929",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-026-14029-4"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2729|COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction",
      "subfield": "reproductive-child"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Abnormal uterine bleeding during the COVID-19 pandemic among reproductive-age women with and without HIV",
  "title_text": "Abnormal uterine bleeding during the COVID-19 pandemic among reproductive-age women with and without HIV",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:45:35Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5btqyjyaekmmb",
  "venue": "BMC Infectious Diseases",
  "versions": []
}