ArticleBMC women's health2022
Coping with dysmenorrhea: a qualitative analysis of period pain management among students who menstruate.
Article in BMC women's health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- What is known about adolescent dysmenorrhoea in (and for) community health settings?Frontiers in reproductive health · 2024Pooled it
- Measuring Menstrual Health Literacy: Development and validation of the Menstrual Health Literacy Scale.Journal of health psychology · 2026Article
- Living with adenomyosis and involuntary childlessness: a qualitative interview study.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- A thermal cauterization therapy in dysmenorrhea pain management: A siddha case report.Bioinformation · 2026Article
- Menstrual health: an analysis of experiences among school-aged adolescents.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P · 2026Article
- Article
- Mapping the health outcomes of menstrual inequity: a comprehensive scoping review.Reproductive health · 2025Article
- Article
- The impact of dysmenorrhea on academic performance and coping strategies: lived experiences of female students in Ethiopian public universities.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- Navigating healthcare in higher education for students with gynaecological pain: an exploratory survey.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- Using an Interpretive Phenomenological Approach to Understand the Menstrual Experience of Young Adults.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2025Article
- A mixed method study of menstrual health in Spain: pain, disorders, and the journey for health.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- What all physicians should know about women's health: a Delphi study.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Menstrual Cycle Management and Period Tracker App Use in Millennial and Generation Z Individuals: Mixed Methods Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Women's experiences of seeking healthcare for abdominal pain in Ireland: a qualitative study.BMC women's health · 2024Article
- Experiences of dysmenorrhea and its treatment among allistic and autistic menstruators: a thematic analysis.BMC women's health · 2023Article
- Reasons for Not Seeking Healthcare Among Students with Dysmenorrhea: A Qualitative Study.International journal of women's health · 2023Article
- Illness perceptions in Raynaud's phenomenon: A qualitative study.Health psychology openArticle
- Seeking help for menstrual pain during adolescence: A mixed-methods retrospective survey of treatment experiences and preferences.Women's health (London, England)Article
- Help-seeking behaviour in dysmenorrhoea: A cross-sectional exploration using the Behavioural Model of Health Services Use.Women's health (London, England)Observational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDysmenorrhea, or period pain, affects up to 95% of menstruating individuals and is a common cause of educational absenteeism among students who menstruate worldwide. Evidence suggests that students may lack sufficient knowledge about their menstrual health, which may impede self-management. The aim of the current study was to explore pain management strategies used by students in Ireland with painful periods and to identify their unaddressed needs across physical, psychological, educational, and social domains.
methodsThis study used a qualitative, interpretive design and opportunity sampling approach to collect and interpret individual accounts of dysmenorrhea from third-level students in Ireland. Data from 21 students were collected using semi-structured online one-to-one interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
resultsAnalysis resulted in the construction of five themes: (1) Pain management is self-directed trial-and-error, (2) Home as safe haven, (3) Prioritising productivity over pain, (4) We're missing an option between 'normalise' and 'medicalise', and (5) Cycle of censorship and concealment. Overall, limited formal education on dysmenorrhea and prevailing negative attitudes towards menstruation create an unsupportive environment for students to learn adequate coping skills. Beyond education, menstrual stigma may also restrict the availability of clear management guidance in domestic and medical spheres. Experiences of dysmenorrhea were also influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, where work-from-home measures were viewed favourably by individuals with dysmenorrhea.
conclusionsThis study indicates that students in Ireland are inadequately prepared to cope with dysmenorrhea. The current findings have substantial implications for evaluating and reforming current menstrual education standards, in addition to clarifying the negative effects of social stigma on menstrual health literacy.
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