Individual management of pain, and adolescent girls’
expectations
High school girls had already taken medication as part of their
dysmenorrhea, in 91% (n=804) of cases, with 86.7% (n=697) adolescents
taking Paracetamol, 68.8% (n=553) antispasmodics and 52.4% (n=421)
non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). They reported NSAIDs as
effective in 67.5% of cases (n=284), 52.4% (n=290) for antispasmodics
and 46.1% (n=321) for Paracetamol. It was self-medication for 58.8%
(n=471) of the sample, with treatment being taken when the pain was
severe in 63.3% of cases (n=507). If a first dose of medication was
ineffective, 40.3% (n=234) of young girls did not repeat the dose, and
50.2% (n=285) did not change drug class. Drug efficacy after 3 months
of use was considered partial at 59.6% (n=434) and nil at 22.1%
(n=161) (S3).
Their answers to how they managed their pain, the effectiveness of the
medication, and the use of non-pharmacological treatment are reported
(S3).
Although 77.2% (n=683) of the girls had sought advice from their
parents and 52.6% (n=465) from friends, 49.5% (n=438) had never
consulted a doctor about this issue even if 62.3% (n=513) believed that
a doctor could help. Of those who had already sought medical advice,
45.4% (n=401) turned to a physician and 12.4% (n=110) to a
gynecologist. As many as 83.3% (n= 788) expressed a desire to have
access to more information
(S3).