Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology
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J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol · Oct 2020
The Prevalence and Educational Impact of Pelvic and Menstrual Pain in Australia: A National Online Survey of 4202 Young Women Aged 13-25 Years.
To explore the prevalence and impact of dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain and menstrual symptoms on young women at school or in tertiary education. ⋯ Dysmenorrhea was reported by 92% of respondents. Dysmenorrhea was moderate (median 6.0 on a 0-10 numeric rating scale) and pain severity stayed relatively constant with age [rs(3804) = 0.012, P = .477]. Noncyclical pelvic pain at least once a month was reported by 55%. Both absenteeism and presenteeism related to menstruation were common. Just under half of women reported missing at least one class/lecture in the previous three menstrual cycles. The majority of young women at school (77%) and in tertiary education (70%) reported problems with classroom concentration during menstruation. Higher menstrual pain scores were strongly correlated with increased absenteeism and reduced classroom performance at both school and in tertiary education. Despite the negative impact on academic performance the majority of young women at school (60%) or tertiary education (83%) would not speak to teaching staff about menstruation.