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).