Adolescent Dysmenorrhea : Prevalence, Severity, Experience and Management in the Use of Medication in High School Girls in Ille-et-Vilaine

Plain-language summary

Dysmenorrhea or painful menstruation is a common symptom of menses. Dysmenorrhea is defined as a painful, cramping sensation in the lower abdomen or back associated with menstrual periods and is classified into primary and secondary types. Primary dysmenorrhea is painful menstrual periods not due to other diseases, and often occurs soon after menarche. Secondary dysmenorrhea is due to an underlying pelvic abnormality, such as endometriosis. Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecological complaint. In many studies, the prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea varies between 34 % in 2010 in Egypt, 86.6% in 2002 in Switzerland, and 21% in 1999 in France. Nowadays, physiopathology is better understood, which suggests that the investigators have treatments Although dysmenorrhea is a common concern, many women never seek medical advice, even though treatments are easily available and simple. In fact, despite the high prevalence, dysmenorrhea is undertreated and even disregarded by health professionals, and the girls themselves, who may accept it as a normal part of the menstrual cycle. The pain occurs just before and/or during menstruation ; it can be mild to severe and is frequently associated with many other symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, tiredness and has many consequences in wellbeing and school. Dysmenorrhea is known to be the first cause of absenteism from school, and appears to have many consequences and a real impact on women's daily activities, which is why it's a public health problem. Because of the lack of recent studies in France, the aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of adolescent dysmenorrhea. The investigators also assessed its severity, how adolescent girls experienced their menses, and how they manage their pain (seeking medical consultation, use of medication). The investigators used a self-assessment questionnaire in a cohort of high school girls, aged 15 to 19 years old, during April and May of 2019, in 8 private and public high schools in Ille-et-Vilaine.

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