Broomfield Women's Acupuncture

06/10/2022

10/27/2021

08/21/2021

The pilot study centers on a combination of 13 traditional medicinal compounds used in China early on in the coronavirus outbreak.

05/21/2021

It’s not a mystery to Chinese Medicine! I can help not only with hot flashes and sweating, but also with depression, anxiety, fatigue, headaches, brain fog, and much more.

Over 1 billion women around the world will have experienced perimenopause by 2025. But a culture that has spent years dismissing the process might explain why we don’t know more about it.

04/30/2021

Q: Do the COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility?

A: There is no scientific evidence to suggest COVID-19 vaccines negatively impact fertility in men or women.

While these vaccines were not tested among pregnant people for initial FDA Emergency Use Authorization in the United States, accumulating data support the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in people who wish to become pregnant and people who are currently pregnant.

Joining us for this post is Nerdy Guest Dr. Marissa Steinberg Weiss, MD from the Center for Reproductive Medicine at the University of Michigan.

First, the biologic function of mRNA vaccines does not impact fertility or placenta formation. The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines do not contain syncyntin-1 or the mRNA sequence to create syncyntin-1 as reported in a widely circulated article that falsely claimed these vaccines could prevent human placenta development. Additionally, mRNA vaccines are not made from live virus. Live virus vaccines are not recommended in pregnancy.

There are no studies linking COVID-19 VACCINATION to infertility in people who produce s***m. A small study did find lower s***m counts with COVID-19 INFECTION. The study looked at 33 people who produce s***m at one timepoint and does not examine male fertility over the course of COVID-19 recovery. Studies are underway looking at short term changes in fertility due to COVID-19 disease, like a temporary drop in s***m count following a fever. At present, there is no plausible link between COVID-19 VACCINATION and infertility.

Research continues on reports of changes to menstrual cycles following COVID-19 vaccination. Menstrual cycles can change for a number of biologic reasons and typically return to their previous patterns without intervention. Theories for changes in menstrual cycles following COVID-19 vaccination include a strong immune response, lowered platelets, and physiologic stress. Like other vaccine side effects, these factors are transient and do not impact the ability to conceive.

The J&J vaccine has not been linked to infertility in any studies. There is less data available examining the J&J vaccine in pregnant people and people trying to conceive as this vaccine has been available for less time in the US. At this time, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices states the benefits of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks and the vaccine remains available to people aged 18-49 years of age with a warning about the risk of rare blood clots.

It’s important to consider the risks of vaccination in the context of the very real and substantial risks from COVID-19 itself. Pregnant people with COVID-19 have 3 times the risk of non-pregnant people of similar age for ICU admission, as well as higher risk for requiring mechanical ventilation and dying. COVID-19 poses risks to both the pregnant person and the unborn fetus. A recent study found that people who were infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy were at increased risk of premature birth, pre-eclampsia, and other neonatal complications. We know that pregnant people who receive the vaccine pass on protective antibodies to their babies via the placenta and breastmilk. Additionally, tens of thousands of pregnant and hoping to become pregnant people have already received COVID-19 vaccinations with no adverse responses.

Multiple national and global organizations recommend COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant individuals and people attempting pregnancy given the known risks and severity of COVID-19 disease during pregnancy. Organizations supporting COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant people and those who wish to become pregnant include the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Concerns surrounding fertility and pregnancy are sensitive and should be taken seriously. If you have questions, reach out to your healthcare team. Many studies are underway to further examine the effects of COVID-19 vaccine and disease on pregnant people and neonates. To date, no studies suggest the COVID-19 vaccinations negatively affect fertility or pregnancy. As new information becomes available, Those Nerdy Girls will continue to provide up-to-date information.

Love,
Those Nerdy Girls

*This post was updated on 5/2/2021 at 5:25 PM to include more inclusive language.

Additional Reading

COVID-19 vaccination and periods
https://dearpandemic.org/covid-19-and-periods/

COVID-19 vaccination and placentas
https://dearpandemic.org/vaccine-and-female-sterility/

COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2104983

Ongoing Research
https://tinyurl.com/56whhz56

04/13/2021

Anyone need some sloth therapy today?

04/02/2021

03/09/2021

As I’m sure you’ve seen by now, CDC published their guidelines for vaccinated people. Here are my thoughts…

1. “Indoor visits between fully vaccinated people who do not wear masks or physically distance from one another are likely low risk.”
Not surprising. We know vaccines protect the vaccinated. Time to keep moving.

2. “Unvaccinated people (…) can visit with fully vaccinated people indoors, without anyone wearing masks, with a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”
So, if you’re vaccinated you can be unmasked around an unvaccinated, low-risk family member. I’m surprised (and happy) about this recommendation. I’m surprised because the CDC doesn’t like risk. They are incredibly careful (sometimes too careful). Even if someone is low risk, that doesn’t necessarily mean there is NO risk; they can still end up in the hospital from COVID19. So, to me, this is an indication of two things:
A. CDC is confident that vaccinated transmission is really low. We do have preliminary evidence, but nothing concrete yet. Maybe they have some secret insider information; and/or,
B. The CDC is confident with the science and their list of high risk diseases.
Nonetheless, this is great news.

3. “If any of the unvaccinated people or their household members are at increased risk of severe COVID-19, all attendees should take precautions”
You need to be careful if you’re vaccinated and visiting an unvaccinated older adult, pregnant friend, or someone with medical conditions (listed HERE). Period. We have 523,850 deaths in the United States that can “prove” COVID19 is not friendly to some. This particular guidance will also help keep hospitals above water.

4. “If unvaccinated people come from multiple households, there is a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among them. Therefore, all people involved should take precautions”
This highlights two things. First, individual risk between two unvaccinated people from two households is high. This is not surprising. Epidemiologists have been shouting this from rooftops for a year now.

Second, this hints at population risk. The vaccinated person can still transmit the virus (even if it’s at a lower rate) to all unvaccinated in a room. The vaccinated person can still do serious damage to multiple households at a time. So, in this case, everyone needs to still be careful when we start mixing households.

5. “All people, regardless of vaccination status, should avoid medium- or large-sized in-person gatherings and to follow any applicable local guidance restricting the size of gatherings.”
Again, this highlights individual risk (among unvaccinated) and population risk (among vaccinated). Fine. No concerts yet. I have tickets from a postponed 2020 concert that’s rescheduled for November 2021. I’m hopeful this will still happen.

6. “At this time, CDC is not updating our travel recommendations and requirements.” Which is: “Delay travel and stay home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.”
This was surprising to me and made me grumpy. But after sleeping on it, I think I understand why CDC decided this. If you’re vaccinated, there is very little individual risk while traveling. The problem comes when we start talking about populations moving. The more people travel (especially from a high risk area to a low risk area), the more you threaten low risk areas. Vaccinated people put populations at risk when they travel. This also tells me that the CDC is still very much worried about variant spread.

Bottom line:
-CDC took a safe and cautious route, as per usual. This guidance did not to take any risks (except for one small one).
-Can vaccinated grandparents hug healthy grandkids? YES. YES. YES.
-There’s an undertone that vaccines significantly reduce transmission
-We still do have quite a few questions that need to be answered. For example, do vaccines reduce chances or severity of long COVID19? It will be months (if not years) before we have a clear understanding of this. Proceed with caution.

Love, YLE

P.S. CDC’s guidance doesn’t change anything about my infographs; the implications of those scenarios are still accurate.

For data sources and pictures, see my newsletter here: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/cdc-guidelines-re-vaccinated

02/22/2021

Pregnant people are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and as a result, have been moved to Phase 1B.3 of the state’s vaccine distribution plan.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends those individuals get vaccinated against COVID-19, even though there have been limited studies of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in pregnant populations. Since neither vaccine contains a live virus, experts believe it unlikely that they pose a risk for pregnant people.

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recommends that people who are lactating get the vaccine and continue breastfeeding after being vaccinated. Breast milk contains antibodies and other components that can boost babies’ immune systems and protect babies from getting sick.

If you have questions or concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine and/or how it affects pregnancy, please consult your healthcare provider. Visit Broomfield.org/COVIDVaccine to learn more about vaccines.

02/22/2021

02/03/2021

From double-masking to getting a tighter seal, these suggestions and simple at-home hacks can make your mask a better barrier against the coronavirus — and help fend off more infectious strains.

01/24/2021

Do you all follow your local epidemiologist on Facebook? I highly recommend that you do. Here she has reliable, evidence-based science re: the Covid vaccine in pregnant and breastfeeding women. It may not be a hard no, after all:

12/29/2020

Easily digestible info!

12/12/2020

Your positive reviews go a long, long way and are always much appreciated! 💕💕💕

12/10/2020

FYI All, the CDPHE has amended the current public health order 20-36 to say that in the event that we go to a stay at home order, acupuncture clinics ARE allowed to stay OPEN.

11/03/2020

Take good care of yourselves today, everyone! 💕