PIH76 Clinical, Humanistic, and Economic Burden of Menstrual Symptoms in Japanese Women

Abstract

The study aims at gaining a clear picture of the clinical, humanistic, and economic burden on women's daily living caused by menstrual symptoms, especially pain and bleeding. An online survey was conducted in two phases, with sampling structured to approximate the age and geographic distribution of women between the ages of 15 to 49. The first survey (n= 21,477) investigated retrospectively the conditions associated with menses, and impact on work and productivity within the previous three months. ‘Menses-related conditions’ in this research referred to 6 domains from the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ©). The second survey analyzed the difference between women seeking medical care (n=274) and those not seeking care (n=500), with details such as costs, reasons for seeking care, medications, and treatment satisfaction. The first survey analyzed 19,254 female with menses (90% of total). Of those, 1.9% reported seeking medical care within the last 3 months, 18.5% >3 months prior, and 79.6% reported no visits. 79% reporting any medical contact had received prescription drugs. Of the total sample, 36% were taking OTC medication, 17% experienced impact on work (absence or lost productivity). About half of those not seeking care selected ‘unnecessary’ as the reason, however, 70% of this group also reported inhibition/ limitation of daily life. About 20% reported ‘resistance/dislike’ as reason for not seeking care. MDQ© score was strongly correlated to medical visit and impact on work. Extrapolated total annual economic burden amounted to 682 billion yen (direct and indirect costs, ∼8.88 billion USD). These findings are similar to a large study conducted ten years ago, suggesting that there has been no change in treatment, medication, and patient behavior in dealing with menstrual-related problems. The burden remains large, and those not seeking care perhaps did not recognize this to be a condition warranting medical help.