Menstruation in Young Girls: A Clinical Perspective

Intra- and inter-examiner Reproducibility of the menstrual hygiene management skills' rating by prepubescent girls in Japan

Prepubescent girls with intellectual disabilities and high support needs encounter difficulties with menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and require individualized education. However, no clear methodology exists for assessing the reliability and validity of premenstrual MHM skills. We developed a 17-item MHM assessment tool to determine the intra- and inter-examiner reproducibility of MHM skills. Prepubescents-9 with intellectual disabilities and 10 with typical development-were educated on menstruation and assessed by three examiners. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) showed high reproducibility, with intra-examiner reproducibility (ICC [1.1]) ranging from 0.87 to 0.99, regardless of disability. Conversely, inter-examiner reproducibilities were ICC (2.1) = 0.69-0.92 and 0.50-0.94 and Kappa coefficients were 0.54-0.81 and 0.37-1.00 for girls with intellectual disability and others, respectively. Items such as lowering underwear and wrapping napkins were less reproducible despite disability. Ability did not affect reproducibility and was useful for identifying MHM changes pre- and post-menstrual education.

EVALUATION OF HEMOSTASIS PARAMETERS IN ADOLESCENT GIRLS PRESENTING WITH MENOMETRORRHAGIA AND COMPARISON WITH HEALTHY ADOLESCENTS

Objective: This study aims to investigate the presence of acquired and hereditary coagulation in adolescent girls presenting with increased menstrual bleeding. Method: The study consisted of 63 adolescent female patients (15.4±1.5 years) who applied to the pediatric clinic of our hospital due to increased menstrual bleeding, did not have any acute or chronic disease, did not use any medication in the last 14 days, and were of the same age and gender as the study group. 74 healthy adolescents were taken as the healthy control group (15.5±1.5 years). Platelet count, all basal and advanced coagulation tests, platelet aggregation, and secretion tests were studied for each case included in the study. Results: When basal and advanced coagulation tests, platelet aggregation, and secretion tests were examined, no significant difference was found between the study and the healthy control group. On the other hand, in our study group with heavy menstrual bleeding, 4 (6.3%) patients were found to have impaired hemostasis (2 patients with type 1 von Willebrand disease, one patient with immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and one patient with mild factor VIII deficiency). Conclusion: Various hemostasis disorders, especially von Willebrand disease, could be detected in the group with heavy menstrual bleeding.

Menstrual distress in females of reproductive age: a literature review

Menstrual-related issues have significant public-health ramifications. Women who are having menstruation troubles should get their mental health checked by healthcare specialists. In young women, a menstrual-related condition has serious health implications. Young females who have menstrual issues miss job and school, and their behavioural and mental development suffers as a result. Depression and anxiety have an impact on women's menstrual periods in adults. Symptoms like as cramps, tiredness, backache, swelling abdomen, and painful breasts have also been described in women with menstrual misery. Menstrual distress has been shown to impair women's daily activities, as well as their reproductive and psychological health, according to research. Menstrual periods are frequently accompanied by a variety of unpleasant symptoms, such as premenstrual syndrome, which includes symptoms such as mild cramping and exhaustion. The severity of these symptoms, on the other hand, differs from woman to woman, depending on their health, food, way of life, and other factors. Women with menstrual-related issues have also reported smoking, alcohol intake, and an increase in hunger. Furthermore, young women experience emotional disturbances such as melancholy, restlessness, and despair. It is a sign of an atypical menstrual cycle if there is no cycle or if the bleeding is atypical or light. As a result, it is critical to maintain contact with a gynaecologist in order to detect any significant changes in a regular menstrual cycle.

Primary Dysmenorrhea: Assessment and Management Update

Many women are familiar with the experience of dysmenorrhea, which can contribute to significant physical and emotional distress and life disruption. However, women may not seek professional expertise in their attempt to alleviate this condition. It is important to assess the beliefs and experiences of all women with dysmenorrhea, including adolescents, as early in gynecologic care as possible. This article reviews the management of primary dysmenorrhea. Midwives can provide valuable assistance to women in their explorations of the variety of treatment options available for the relief of dysmenorrhea, including lifestyle changes, complementary and alternative approaches, analgesics, and hormones.

Menstruation in adolescents: what's normal, what's not

The conventional wisdom about menstruation in adolescents, perpetuated in textbooks, requires updating. Recently published national surveys and reviews of large historical databases provide information about menstruation in adolescents, including the following: (1) Girls are experiencing earlier pubertal development than previously noted, suggesting that guidelines for the evaluation of potentially pathologic precocious puberty be reassessed. (2) There are racial differences in pubertal development, with African American girls experiencing earlier signs than Caucasian girls, and Mexican American girls intermediate in pace. (3) The absence of pubertal development by age 14 is associated with a high probability of conditions with impaired reproductive potential. (4) Absence of menarche by age 15 is statistically uncommon and should be evaluated. (5) Parameters for normal menstrual cyclicity indicate that most menstrual cycles for adolescents are between approximately 20 and 45 days. (6) Because menstrual cycles outside of this range are statistically uncommon, consideration should be give to evaluating adolescents with bleeding that is either too frequent or too infrequent. (7) A number of conditions with the potential for significant sequelae in adulthood can present as abnormal menses in adolescence, and thus merit early diagnosis and management.