Illustration via sexualityandu.ca
A new study published in the Journal of Pediatric Adolescent Gynecology reports on a study of how dysmenorrhea affects girls’ relationships with families and friends and school performance for girls in Turkey. Previously, we reported on research documenting that menstrual pain is the norm for adolescents; this study represents a next step by looking at the effects of that pain. 1951 girls from 26 high schools completed surveys assessing the level and the nature of menstrual pain they experienced and answered questions about how their pain affected their school work and relationships.
Unsurprisingly, more than half of the girls surveyed reported that dysmenorrhea does affect their ability to perform well at school, with 50% of the girls reporting “lack of focus on the content of the courses” and 26.9% reporting “not being able to answer the questions in exams despite having the knowledge”. A staggering 77.3% report “having problems with their families” when they are experiencing menstrual pain.
