Prevalence, impact and treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in workers of an Academic and Research Institute

Dysmenorrhea is one of the cyclical processes in chronic pelvic pain. Dysmenorrhea in women causes a high psychosocial and economic impact. For this reason, we conducted a study to assess the prevalence, impact and use of drugs for the treatment of dysmenorrhea among workers of an Educational and Research Institute. A prevalence of dysmenorrhea of 57.2% was found. About a half (49.4%) of women with dysmenorrhea reported that it limited their daily activities in 4.1 ± 2.4 cycles per year. 29.3% reported absenteeism by at least 2.7 ± 1.4 (range 1-5) cycles per year. Of the women with dysmenorrhea, only 34.9% consulted a doctor and the most prescribed drugs were over the counter medications with metamizol and butylscopolamine (25.0%), another medicine with paracetamol, pamabrom and pyrilamine (Syncol®, 16.7%) naproxen (12.5%) and mefenamic acid (12.5%). On the other hand, self-medication was practiced by 54.2% of women with dysmenorrhea and the most used drugs were Syncol® (28.9%), naproxen (17.8%), metamizol with butylscopolamine (13.3%) and dipyrone (6.7%). Our data suggest a significant prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea and dysmenorrheic women used many drugs for self-medication, but rarely come to medical services.