Summary
By means of a questionaire we studied the menstrual patterns of 502 adolescent girls aged 10–19 years in 1979. The incidence of occasional or consistent primary dysmenorrhea was 43%. The incidence of dysmenorrhea increased considerably with increasing age and the interval between the menarche and the onset of dysmenorrhea was less than one year in 72% of subjects investigated. The occurrence of severe dysmenorrhea resulting in absence from school varied between 8 and 18% in various age groups.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bergsjø P (1979) Socioeconomic implications of dysmenorrhea. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand [Suppl] 87: 67
Bergsjø P, Jenssen H, Vellar OD (1975) Dysmenorrhea in industrial workers. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 54: 255
Bickers W (1960) Dysmenorrhea and menstrual disability. Clin Obstet Gynecol 3: 233
Gray LA (1960) Gynecology in adolescence. Pediatr Clin North Am 7: 43
Käser O, Friedberg V, Ober KG, Thomsen K, Zander J (1968) Die geschlechtsspezifischen Funktionen der Frau und ihre Störungen. In: Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe I. Thieme, Stuttgart, S. 426
Litschgi M, Glatthaar E (1978) Primäre Dysmenorrhoe und Hyperprolaktinämie. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 38: 569
Stojanoviöc V, Lazarov A, Cakonakov D, Paläcevski G, Janevski M, Spirova S, Mikiöc M, Popova S (1979) Incidence of painful menstruation in Macedonia. Jugosl Ginekol Opstet 18: 29
Svennerud S (1959) Dysmenorrhoea and absenteeism. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand [Suppl 2] 38: 7
Widholm O (1979) Dysmenorrhea during adolescence. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand [Suppl] 87: 61
Widholm O, Frisk M, Hortling H, de la Chapelle A (1963) Teen-age gynecology with special reference to vaginal hyperestrogenism. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand [Suppl 6] 42: 153
Widholm O, Frisk M, Tenhunen T, Hortling H (1967) Gynecological findings in adolescence. A study of 514 patients. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand [Suppl] 46: 1
Widholm O, Kantero R-L (1971) Menstrual patterns of adolescent girls according to chronological and gynecological ages. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand [Suppl 14] 50: 19
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Svanberg, L., Ulmsten, U. The incidence of primary dysmenorrhea in teenagers. Arch. Gynecol. 230, 173–177 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02111800
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02111800