Menstrual Experiences Research Articles

Analysis of the stressor and coping strategies of adolescents with dysmenorrhoea

Introduction: Every woman has a different menstrual experience. However, many encounter menstruation alongside disorders that cause discomfort, such as pain felt during menstruation called dysmenorrhoea. One of the factors that influence the occurrence of primary menstrual pain is the psychological factor of stress. Objective: This study aimed to identify the strategies used to overcome dysmenorrhoea in young women. Method: This study used a cross-sectional design and a simple random sampling technique. The calculation result involved 132 samples. The independent variables were personal stressors, environmental stressors, and coping strategies. The dependent variable was dysmenorrhoea. The data was collected using a questionnaire that was tested for validity and reliability. The analysis used a multiple linear regression test with a significance level I±â�¤0.05. Results: The results showed that the personal stressors related to the age aspect were associated with dysmenorrhoea (p=0.002), and that the age of menarche was associated with dysmenorrhoea (p=0.023). Environmental stressors within the aspect of workload had a correlation with dysmenorrhoea (p=0.009), and interpersonal relationships had a correlation with dysmenorrhoea (p=0.015). Coping strategies, particularly emotionally-focused coping also had a relationship with dysmenorrhoea (p=0.019). Conclusion: Biological age and age of menarche are two of the causes of personal stress for young women. Academic stress is also one of the highest causes of stress in adolescent girls. The demands of academic achievements, interactions with peers, bad teachers and pressuring parents can result in adolescents experiencing stress, resulting in the physical health effect of dysmenorrhoea during menstruation. If adolescents cannot find a good method coping, the risk of dysmenorrhoea will be higher. © 2018, Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development. All rights reserved.

Chemoreflex function and brain blood flow during upright posture in men and women.

Orthostatic intolerance is more common in women than men, and some studies have found that women in the early follicular (EF) phase of the menstrual cycle experience the greatest feelings of lightheadedness. Chemoreflex function while supine or upright was investigated to determine the potential contribution of ventilatory control to these phenomena. Men (n = 13) and women (n = 14) were tested while supine and 70° upright (head‐up tilt [HUT]) and given: (1) normoxia or (2) hypercapnia (5% CO2). Women were tested during the EF phase (days 2–5) and the midluteal phase (ML; days 18–24). During HUT, all groups reduced cerebrovascular resistance index (men: 1.45 ± 0.08 to 1.42 ± 0.07 mmHg/(cm·sec), EF: 1.38 ± 0.11 to 1.26 ± 0.10 mmHg/(cm·sec), ML: 1.25 ± 0.07 to 1.09 ± 0.07 mmHg/(cm·sec); P ≤ 0.019); however, only men increased ventilation (men: 11.99 ± 0.65 to 13.24 ± 0.83 L/min; P < 0.01). In response to hypercapnia in the supine position, men had a smaller increase of diastolic middle cerebral artery velocity compared to women in the ML phase (men: +9.1 ± 2.0 cm/sec, ML: +15.7 ± 3.1 cm/sec, P = 0.039). During hypercapnia in HUT (compared to hypercapnia while supine), all groups had an augmented increase of ventilation (men: +7.46 ± 1.34 vs. +5.84 ± 1.09 L/min, EF: +6.71 ± 0.83 vs. +5.48 ± 0.66 L/min, ML: +7.99 ± 1.13 vs. +5.65 ± 0.81 L/min; P ≤ 0.028), suggesting that all groups experienced augmentation of the CO2 chemoreflex; however, only men had an augmented increase of mean arterial pressure (+0.10 ± 0.58 to +4.71 ± 0.87 mmHg; P ≤ 0.017). Our results indicate that men have different ventilatory responses to upright tilt compared to women, and that the CO2 chemoreflex response is enhanced in upright posture in both sexes. Furthermore, sexually dimorphic blood pressure responses to this chemoreflex enhancement are evident.

Encoding of menstrual pain experience with theta oscillations in women with primary dysmenorrhea

Theta oscillation (4–7 Hz) is well documented for its association with neural processes of memory. Pronounced increase of theta activity is commonly observed in patients with chronic neurogenic pain. However, its association with encoding of pain experience in patients with chronic pain is still unclear. The goal of the present study is to investigate the theta encoding of sensory and emotional information of long-term menstrual pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea (PDM). Forty-six young women with PDM and 46 age-matched control subjects underwent resting-state magnetoencephalography study during menstrual and periovulatory phases. Our results revealed increased theta activity in brain regions of pain processing in women with PDM, including the right parahippocampal gyrus, right posterior insula, and left anterior/middle cingulate gyrus during the menstrual phase and the left anterior insula and the left middle/inferior temporal gyrus during the periovulatory phase. The correlations between theta activity and the psychological measures pertaining to pain experience (depression, state anxiety, and pain rating index) implicate the role of theta oscillations in emotional and sensory processing of pain. The present study provides evidence for the role of theta oscillations in encoding the immediate and sustained effects of pain experience in young women with PDM.

Menstruation, objectification and health-related quality of life: A questionnaire study.

To explore young women's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and investigate whether menstrual and menarche experiences and objectification predict mental and physical health components of HRQOL. Menstruation plays a fundamental role in female biology, in women's relationship to their bodies and consequently in women's health and their HRQOL. Cross-sectional explorative survey design. A questionnaire that included the SF-36v2, the Self-objectification Questionnaire (SOQ), the Body Surveillance and Body Shame subscales of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, the Belief and Attitudes Towards Menstruation Questionnaire (four subscales), and questions on menarche and menstruation was administered at the end of 2013 to 319 Icelandic women who represented the population by age. The SF-36v2 includes eight dimensions addressing the mental and physical components of HRQOL. Scores are presented as raw data scores and scores based on standardised score of American women and range from 0 to 100 with higher scores indicating better HRQL. A hierarchical multiple linear regression model was employed to calculate significant predictors of mental and physical health components of HRQOL. Mean raw data scores on SF36-v2 dimensions ranged from 54.7 to 91.5. The participants scored below the standardised, mean norm-based score for all dimensions. Secrecy of menstruation, experience of body shame and pain during menstruation predicted worse mental HRQOL. To believe in the proscriptive role and the unpleasantness of menstruation, experience of body shame, medication for menstrual pain and not holding a university education predicted worse physical HRQOL. These two models explained 30% and 22% of the variance of the mental and physical components of SF36-v2, respectively. Young women's mental and physical HRQOL is influenced by the specific context of their lives. Women's health education should take into account the various relationships women may have with their bodies.

Lost in transition: menstrual experiences of intellectually disabled school-going adolescents in Delhi, India

Issues around reproductive health of intellectually disabled adolescents have received limited attention in India. This study aimed to bring to light these issues to inform policy and practice surrounding reproductive health among intellectually disabled adolescents. The objectives of this study were to understand the problems encountered by intellectually disabled adolescents and their primary caretakers during management of the adolescent’s menstrual cycle, and to explore the strategies adopted to overcome them. Using qualitative methodology, in-depth interviews were carried out with 23 primary caretakers (all mothers) of adolescent girls in the age group of 11–19 years with IQ of 20–50 were interviewed using in-depth interviews. The mothers of adolescents were selected using purposive sampling and grounded theory methodology was followed for data analysis. The adolescents faced a whole range of issues; from not being able to change sanitary napkins due to physical constraints, to not being able to comm...

女子学生の月経の経験 : 第1報 月経の経験の経時的推移

女子学生の月経の経験 : 第1報 月経の経験の経時的推移

女子学生の月経の経験 : 第2報 月経の経験の関連要因

女子学生の月経の経験 : 第2報 月経の経験の関連要因

The role of menstruation in women's objectification: a questionnaire study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the concepts of objectification and self-objectification among young women in the context of attitudes towards menstruation, menstrual suppression, menstrual and menarche experiences, disorder eating and exercise habits and to detect predictors of objectification and self-objectification. The negative effects of objectification are well founded. Considering the central role menstruation plays in female biology, it comes as quite a surprise that so little attention is given to the subject in the research on objectification. Cross-sectional explorative survey design. A questionnaire that included the Self-Objectification Questionnaire, the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, the Belief and Attitudes Towards Menstruation Questionnaire and the Suppress Menstruation subscale of the Attitudes Towards Menstrual Suppression Questionnaire was administered at the end of 2013 to 319 Icelandic women who represented the population by age. A stepwise multiple linear regression model was employed to calculate significant predictors of objectification and self-objectification. Four models of objectification are presented: the self-objectification model, the body surveillance model, the body shame model and the control belief model. Taken together, the strongest predictors of these models were related to eating habits. However, the findings also support the proposition that menstrual-related experiences influence women's objectification, particularly in terms of age at menarche, of belief in the prescriptive role of menstruation and of use of pain medication for menstrual pain. Healthcare providers in general and nurses in particular could and should assist girls and women in developing a positive view of their body and its reproductive functions by discussing the body and menstruation based on women's concerns.

New Breast Pain Chart for Objective Record of Mastalgia.

Mastalgia is the commonest affliction of mammary gland among ladies of the reproductive age group. Since etiopathogenesis and therapy are different for cyclical and noncyclical pain, it is imperative to ascertain the exact type correctly. This is usually done in the breast clinics by advising the patient to fill a pain diary over a period of 2months over two menstrual cycles. The Cardiff pain chart records the severity of pain in the form of a triangle for mild to moderate pain and a square for severe pain. Moreover, Cardiff pain chart does not allow a patient to record the severity of pain on days of menses, as she has to put the letter "P" in the box. These problems have been resolved in the new breast pain chart. In the new pain chart, the lady records pain severity in the form of visual linear analogue scale score on every day of menstrual cycle. She enters her menstrual experience on a separate part of chart, which allows us to visualize the full month's pain severity in an uncluttered way.

The experience of perimenopausal distress: examining the role of anxiety and anxiety sensitivity

Objective: The hormonal changes that occur in perimenopause can result in distress for a significant proportion of women years before reaching menopause. Previous studies have suggested that various biopsychosocial characteristics and personality traits contribute to more intense reactions to these hormonal changes. In the present study, we examined the contribution of trait anxiety and anxiety sensitivity in predicting the experience of perimenopausal distress in pre- and early perimenopausal women while controlling for some menstrual experiences.Method: A sample of 660 women aged 35–52 years was selected from a broader online survey of biopsychosocial changes in middle-aged women that considered age, menstrual cycle pattern, physical and mental health, and childbearing experience. Three hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted for different age subgroups: women aged 35–40, women aged 41–45 and women aged 46–52.Results: Results indicated that anxiety and anxiety sensitivity, along with a number of features of the menstrual experience, explained 56–66% of the perimenopausal distress variance. Different personality trait predictors were found to be important in different age subgroups. In the youngest and middle subgroups (45 years and younger), trait anxiety was found to be more significant, whereas anxiety sensitivity was found to be more important in explaining perimenopausal distress experienced by women older than 40.Conclusion: Anxiety sensitivity (dimension of psychological concerns) might be an important vulnerability factor in the experience of perimenopausal distress among women closer to menopause, whereas the predisposition to an anxiety response might contribute to perimenopausal distress near the beginning of reproductive hormonal changes. Implications for better understanding the development of perimenopausal distress and psychological intervention are discussed.

Menarche and Menstruation in Rural Adolescent Girls in Maharashtra, India

Background: Menarche and menstrual experiences play a critical role in adolescent girls’ life. These not only significantly influence their sexual and reproductive health but also possess much social and educational impact. This study qualitatively explores the perceptions, practices and experiences related to menarche and menstruation among rural Indian adolescent girls which has been less studied in the past literature. Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to select 32 adolescent girls (eight girls who did not reach menarche and 24 girls who attained menarche) from rural Maharashtra in India. Information about the perceptions, practices and experiences of menarche and menstruation among the participants was obtained through focus group discussions and was analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: Most of the participants, especially girls without menarche lacked adequate knowledge about menstruation and its processes. All communications regarding menstruation were between friends, whereas mothers were found to be playing a limited role. Some of the girls were using sanitary pads, while most girls still use old cloths. Financial concerns and difficulty in obtaining sanitary pads were major obstructions for their use. Lack of awareness and appropriate care for menstrual morbidities were reported among these girls, which put impact on their educational attainment. Conclusions: Suitable strategy needs to be developed for providing correct knowledge about menstruation among adolescent girls, such as inclusion of adolescent friendly services in school curriculum and training of mothers and teachers to provide friendly counselling to the girls. Further, menstrual pad vending machines could be installed in schools and colleges, for easy access of sanitary pads at subsidized rate. Special care and support during menstruation can prevent several adverse events from occurring in adolescent girls’ lives.

The relationship between attitudes towards menarche and current attitudes towards menstruation of women: A comparative study

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Purpose:&lt;/strong&gt; The study was conducted to determine affecting factors and to investigate relationship between attitudes towards menarche and current attitudes towards menstruation of women and to compare characteristics of menarche and menstruation of women who were born and raised in the northeastern and western of Turkey. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method and Materials:&lt;/strong&gt; This descriptive and comparative study was participated totally 400 volunteer women.&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;The data were collected using a questionnaire containing defined closed and open-ended questions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The study results showed that women living in Ordu province than women living in Aydın province expressed positive attitudes toward menarche, and the difference was found significant. Nevertheless, attitudes towards current menstruation were similar in both provinces. When the data of 400 women were evaluated together; women’s attitudes towards menarche were compared with the current attitudes towards menstruation, and the difference was found statistically significant. Although attitudes of the women towards menarche varied according to where they lived, their current attitudes towards menstruation were similar. In addition, depending upon the province, there were statistically significant differences in women’s age at menarche, recollection of menarche, and feelings of shame or happiness at menarche, source and adequacy of information about menstruation, and regularity of their menstrual cycle. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/strong&gt; Early menstrual experiences may be related to menstrual experiences later in life and women’s attitudes towards menstruation were not affected by geographical locations. In order to develop positive attitudes towards menarche and a woman’s future years of menstrual cycles, it is very important that accurate and adequate information for young girls be provided before menarche. &lt;/p&gt;

Uncovering the challenges to menstrual hygiene management in schools in Mali

There is limited information on girls' menstrual hygiene practices and experiences at school in francophone sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted qualitative research to determine the challenges faced by school-aged girls in Mali, a culturally diverse and largely Muslim country. Research activities were conducted in eight urban and rural schools across the Sikasso and Koulikoro regions, including in-depth interviews with 26 girls and key informant interviews with 14 teachers and school directors. Results describe girls' practices for managing menstruation at school, their support systems and information channels, and their voiced recommendations for school WASH and education improvements.

Prevalence of heavy menstrual bleeding and experiences of affected women in a European patient survey

ObjectiveTo examine the prevalence and impact of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) among women in Europe, and their experience of HMB assessment and management. MethodsAn internet-based survey was conducted among women (aged 18–57years) in five European countries between January and February 2012. The prevalence of HMB among the general population was determined in a short survey, and women who had been diagnosed with HMB were then asked to complete an extended survey about their diagnosis and symptoms. ResultsOverall, 4506 women responded, of whom 1225 (27.2%) had experienced two or more predefined HMB symptoms within the previous year. Of these women, 564 (46.0%) had never consulted a physician. Among 330 women who completed the detailed survey, 208 (63.0%) had ever been diagnosed with iron deficiency or iron-deficiency anemia. Symptoms associated with iron deficiency were used to help confirm a diagnosis in 83 (39.9%) women. Only 152 (46.1%) of the 330 patients with confirmed HMB had received prescription medication for iron deficiency. ConclusionMany women affected by HMB do not seek medical help, and few of those who do consult physicians report that they have received appropriate treatment. HMB continues to be underdiagnosed and poorly treated.

Menstrual bleeding experiences are as important as expectations.

Menstrual bleeding experiences are as important as expectations.

Providing young women with credible health information about bleeding disorders.

BackgroundApproximately 1% of U.S. women may have an undiagnosed bleeding disorder, which can diminish quality of life and lead to life-threatening complications during menstruation, childbirth, and surgery.PurposeTo understand young women’s knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about bleeding disorders and determine the preferred messaging strategy (e.g., gain- versus loss-framed messages) for presenting information.MethodsIn September 2010, a web-assisted personal interview of women aged 18–25 years was conducted. Preliminary analyses were conducted in 2011 with final analyses in 2013. In total, 1,243 women participated. Knowledge of blood disorders was tabulated for these respondents. Menstrual experiences of women at risk for a bleeding disorder were compared with those not at risk using chi-square analyses. Perceived influence of gain- versus loss-framed messages also was compared.ResultsParticipants knew that a bleeding disorder is a condition in which bleeding takes a long time to stop (77%) or blood does not clot (66%). Of the women, 57% incorrectly thought that a bleeding disorder is characterized by thin blood; many were unsure if bleeding disorders involve blood types, not getting a period, or mother and fetus having a different blood type. Women at risk for a bleeding disorder were significantly more likely to report that menstruation interfered with daily activities (36% vs 9%); physical or sports activities (46% vs 21%); social activities (29% vs 7%); and school or work activities (20% vs 9%) than women not at risk. Gain-framed messages were significantly more likely to influence women’s decisions to seek medical care than parallel loss-framed messages. Findings suggest that the most influential messages focus on knowing effective treatment is available (86% gain-framed vs 77% loss-framed); preventing pregnancy complications (79% gain- vs 71% loss-framed); and maintaining typical daily activities during menstrual periods.ConclusionsLack of information about bleeding disorders is a serious public health concern. Health communications focused on gain-framed statements might encourage symptomatic young women to seek diagnosis and treatment. These findings and corresponding recommendations align with Healthy People 2020 and with CDC’s goal of working to promote the health, safety, and quality of life of women at every life stage.

A Study on Menstrual Experience and Women’s Perception of Self-identity - Focusing on Sosan Village Pungsan-eup Andong City-

A Study on Menstrual Experience and Women’s Perception of Self-identity - Focusing on Sosan Village Pungsan-eup Andong City-

‘We Keep It Secret So No One Should Know’ – A Qualitative Study to Explore Young Schoolgirls Attitudes and Experiences with Menstruation in Rural Western Kenya

BackgroundKeeping girls in school offers them protection against early marriage, teen pregnancy, and sexual harms, and enhances social and economic equity. Studies report menstruation exacerbates school-drop out and poor attendance, although evidence is sparse. This study qualitatively examines the menstrual experiences of young adolescent schoolgirls.Methods and FindingsThe study was conducted in Siaya County in rural western Kenya. A sample of 120 girls aged 14–16 years took part in 11 focus group discussions, which were analysed thematically. The data gathered were supplemented by information from six FGDs with parents and community members. Emergent themes were: lack of preparation for menarche; maturation and sexual vulnerability; menstruation as an illness; secrecy, fear and shame of leaking; coping with inadequate alternatives; paying for pads with sex; and problems with menstrual hygiene. Girls were unprepared and demonstrated poor reproductive knowledge, but devised practical methods to cope with menstrual difficulties, often alone. Parental and school support of menstrual needs is limited, and information sparse or inaccurate. Girls’ physical changes prompt boys and adults to target and brand girls as ripe for sexual activity including coercion and marriage. Girls admitted ‘others’ rather than themselves were absent from school during menstruation, due to physical symptoms or inadequate sanitary protection. They described difficulties engaging in class, due to fear of smelling and leakage, and subsequent teasing. Sanitary pads were valued but resource and time constraints result in prolonged use causing chafing. Improvised alternatives, including rags and grass, were prone to leak, caused soreness, and were perceived as harmful. Girls reported ‘other girls’ but not themselves participated in transactional sex to buy pads, and received pads from boyfriends.ConclusionsIn the absence of parental and school support, girls cope, sometimes alone, with menarche in practical and sometimes hazardous ways. Emotional and physical support mechanisms need to be included within a package of measures to enable adolescent girls to reach their potential.

Menstrual pain is associated with rapid structural alterations in the brain

Dysmenorrhea is the most prevalent gynecological disorder in women of child-bearing age. Dysmenorrhea is associated with central sensitization and functional and structural changes in the brain. Our recent brain morphometry study disclosed that dysmenorrhea is associated with trait-related abnormal gray matter (GM) changes, even in the absence of menstrual pain, indicating that the adolescent brain is vulnerable to menstrual pain. Here we report rapid state-related brain morphological changes, ie, between pain and pain-free states, in dysmenorrhea. We used T1-weighted anatomic magnetic resonance imaging to investigate regional GM volume changes between menstruation and periovulatory phases in 32 dysmenorrhea subjects and 32 age- and menstrual cycle-matched asymptomatic controls. An optimized voxel-based morphometry analysis was conducted to disclose the possible state-related regional GM volume changes across different menstrual phases. A correlation analysis was also conducted between GM differences and the current menstrual pain experience in the dysmenorrhea group. Compared with the periovulatory phase, the dysmenorrhea subjects revealed greater hypertrophic GM changes than controls during the menstruation phase in regions involved in pain modulation, generation of the affective experience, and regulation of endocrine function, whereas atrophic GM changes were found in regions associated with pain transmission. Volume changes in regions involved in the regulation of endocrine function and pain transmission correlated with the menstrual pain experience scores. Our results demonstrated that short-lasting cyclic menstrual pain is associated not only with trait-related but also rapid state-related structural alterations in the brain. Considering the high prevalence rate of menstrual pain, these findings mandate a great demand to revisit dysmenorrhea with regard to its impact on the brain and other clinical pain conditions.

Exploring dysmenorrhoea and menstrual experiences among Lebanese female adolescents

Data on menstrual experiences and their impact on quality of life among women in developing countries are scant. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of dysmenorrhoea among adolescent girls in Sidon city and suburbs, Lebanon, and to explore its possible relationship with menstrual experience. In a cross-sectional design, 389 post-menarcheal schoolgirls aged 13-19 years were selected using a cluster random sampling method. Of these 161 (41.4%) were regularly or sometimes absent from school due to menstrual problems and 289 (74.3%) experienced dysmenorrhoea. Nevertheless only 7.3% of the girls had consulted a physician about dysmenorrhoea. Three-quarters of these young women (75.2%) had scores indicating negative menstrual experience based on the Menstrual Experience and Behavior Questionnaire. Significant predictors of dysmenorrhoea were negative menstrual experience, younger age of girl, longer duration of bleeding and longer cycle length. Better reproductive health educational programmes focusing on menstruation are needed for female adolescents.