Menstrual cycle among adolescents: girls’ awareness and influence of age at menarche and overweight

Objective: To characterize the menstrual cycle (regularity and menstrual flow length), the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and self-monitoring of the cycle in students from Lisbon region, and explore the effect of chronological age, age at menarche and body mass index (BMI) on menstrual disorders. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 848 girls aged 12–18 years. A questionnaire about the sociodemographic context and characteristics of the menstrual cycle, and weight and height measures were assessed. BMI was classified according to International Obesity Taskforce criteria. A descriptive analysis of the variables was made, and Odds Ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were determined. Results: Mean age at menarche was 12.4 years and mean BMI was 22.0kg/m2. Among adolescents, 59% have regular menstrual cycle, 83% have menstrual flow length of ≤6 days. 88% suffered from dysmenorrhea, among which 8,7% declare absenteeism from school and 49% took pain medication, and 65% self-monitor their menstrual cycle. Higher maternal education was associated with a higher self-monitoring of menstrual cycle among the sample (OR 1.60; 95%CI 1.15–2.17). Girls with menarche <12 years-of-age are more likely to have menstrual flow length of >6 days (OR 1.73; 95%CI 1.19–2.51) and dysmenorrhea (OR 1.87; 95%CI 1.11–3.16) than those with menarche ≥12 years-of-age. No significant association between BMI and menstrual cycle variables was observed. Conclusions: The results suggest that menstrual disorders are frequent and may be associated with early menarche, but not with BMI. It is important to encourage self-monitoring of the menstrual cycle to detect menstrual disorders timely and promote health and well-being.

EFFECT OF MENSTRUATION ON TEAR PRODUCTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF MADONNA UNIVERSITY, ELELE CAMPUS, RIVERS STATE NIGERIA

Purpose: The menstrual cycle has been reported to influence many other physiological processes in women. This study ascertained the effect of menstruation on oculovisual status with emphasis on tear production among young female undergraduates of Madonna University, Elele Campus Rivers State Nigeria. Methodology: The study involved 103 female undergraduates with fairly regular menstrual cycle selected through convenience sampling technique. Their age ranged from 16-30 years with a mean age of 20.82 ± 3.205 years and a median age of 20 years. A well-structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to elicit oculovisual symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle. Schirmer’s test strip was used to measure tear volume at pre-determined intervals of the menstrual flow period. External and internal eye examinations were also carried out using the Pen torch and ophthalmoscope respectively. Data collected were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 and results were expressed using tables and correlation of variables expressed using Dunnett’s multiple comparison test. Findings: There was a significant increase (p ˂ 0.05) in tear production during the first two days of the flow and a slight decrease during the last two days. Comparison of the right and left eyes showed no statistically significant (p ˃ 0.05) difference. Variation in tear production associated with menstruation with respect to age showed statistically significant (p ˂ 0.05) differences for all age groups except for the right eye of subjects within age group 26–30 years. While 52.4% (n=54 ) of the ladies have no oculovisual complaint, the most common oculovisual complaint was headache 42.7% (n = 44) followed by blurry vision 2.91 % (n = 3) and excessive tearing 1.94% (n = 2). Contribution to Knowledge: The study revealed that physiological changes likely resulting from hormonal variation during the menstrual flow influences tear volume and may cause visual discomfort among women within the reproductive age and recommended the need for tear volume assessment and detailed case history prior to management of complaints associated with dry eye and dispensing of contact lenses for pre and post-menopausal women.

Relationship of Physical Activity with Pattern and Outcomes of Menstrual Cycle among Undergraduate Medical Students

Background: Menstrual cycle is affected by a number of factors either positively or negatively. Disturbed menstrual cycle impacts physical, mental and social well being of women. Physical activity and exercise affect pattern of menstrual cycle depending upon its intensity. Aim: To explore the relationship of physical activity and pattern of menstrual cycle particularly dysmenorrhea and its impact on absenteeism. Study Design: Cross-sectional study Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Community Medicine, HITEC-IMS Taxila from 1st March to 31st August 2020. Methodology: One hundred and six randomly selected female undergraduate medical students of 1st to 4th year. A self-reported structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Results: Mean age of respondents was 21.1+1.6 years. Body mass index of 47.2% respondents was normal, 26.4% were overweight and 15.1% were obese. Menstrual flow was reported light by 11.3% respondents, 74.5% had moderate and 14.2% had heavy menstrual flow. Dysmenorrhea was reported by 85% respondents, 13% had mild, 14% had moderate and 33% had severe pain during menstruation. Absenteeism was reported by 28.3% participants and was found to be associated with dysmenorrhea. Statistically significant (p<.05) association was found between physical activity and dysmenorrhea. Conclusion: Abnormalities of menstrual cycle among medical students can affect their physical well-being leading to class absenteeism. Regular and continuous physical activity can be of a great effect in improving menstrual pain and related problems. Keywords: Menstrual cycle, Dysmenorrhea, Physical activity, Undergraduate medical students

STUDI ETNOMEDISIN PADA MASYARAKAT 5 DESA KECAMATAN SECANG KABUPATEN MAGELANG

The use of plants for traditional medicines are community tradition in Indonesia. However, the use of plants for hereditary treatment has not been well documented. One of the solutions is an ethnomedicine study, in this study 5 villages located in Secang District, Magelang Regency. The sampling technique used is snowball sampling with observation using instruments and interviews. The number of respondents sample is 388 respondents. The results showed that the community utilized 96 plant species from 47 families. There are 3 types of diseases that use plants in their treatment with an ICF value of 1, namely sprains, nosebleeds, and menstrual flow. The most widely used parts for treatment are leaves (42.61%). The most frequently used processing method is the boiling technique with a percentage of 65.10% by way of use, which is drinking 77.05%. People most often consume with a frequency of 2x a day (74.87%). People usually use treatment during illness/ curative (76.74%). People get plants from their own yard (54.24%). Knowledge about treatment comes from family (hereditary) (72.43%). From some of the results, it can be used as a reference when conducting scientific verification of preclinical testing on test animals.

A Study of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Menstrual Hygiene among Adolescent Teenage Girls in and Around Anantapur Town

Menstrual hygiene is defined as the principle of maintaining the cleanliness of the body during menstrual flow. It requires basic facilities such as appropriate clothes, soakage material, water, soap, and toilet facilities with privacy. Many studies have revealed that most adolescent girls had incomplete and inaccurate information about menstrual hygiene and physiology. It also revealed that mothers, television, friends, teachers, and relatives were the main sources that provided information on menstruation to adolescent girls. In our study, most of the girls belong to the age group of 15 – 17 that is 448 participants are from that age group which comprises about 89% and they mostly belong to intermediate which is around 442 students (88.4%). 90.6% of the girls knew that menstruation occurs only in females and 88% of the girls aware that the best sanitary products are pads and only 39.6% of girls knew about menstruation before menarche. It was observed that only 37.2% of girls knew that infection would occur if they don’t clean their vagina regularly during their menstruation. Maximum that is 304 (60.8%) girls responded for dysmenorrhoea in the present study. The majority of these responses were in the age group of 13–15 years. the knowledge on menstruation and menstrual hygiene was found to be unsatisfactory although the practices were noted to be good. The majority of girls attained menarche in the study. Menstrual hygiene is an issue that needs to be addressed at all levels. In our study majority of the mothers were found to be illiterates, as mothers are the first informant to the majority of adolescent girls the health education actives can be extended to the mothers to improve awareness.

Menstrual flow as a non-invasive source of endometrial organoids

Assessment of the endometrium often necessitates a biopsy, which currently involves an invasive, transcervical procedure. Here, we present an alternative technique based on deriving organoids from menstrual flow. We demonstrate that organoids can be derived from gland fragments recovered from menstrual flow. To confirm they faithfully reflect the in vivo state we compared organoids derived from paired scratch biopsies and ensuing menstrual flow from patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF). We demonstrate that the two sets of organoids share the same transcriptome signature, derivation efficiency and proliferation rate. Furthermore, they respond similarly to sex steroids and early-pregnancy hormones, with changes in morphology, receptor expression, and production of ‘uterine milk’ proteins that mimic those during the late-secretory phase and early pregnancy. This technique has wide-ranging impact for non-invasive investigation and personalised approaches to treatment of common gynaecological conditions, such as endometriosis, and reproductive disorders, including failed implantation after IVF and recurrent miscarriage.

The Sacred and the Profane: Menstrual Flow and Religious Values

Most religious texts and practices warrant the exclusion of women from religious rituals and public spheres during the menstrual flow. This is seemingly at odds with the very idea of ‘Religion’ which binds the human beings with God without any gender and sexual discrimination. The present article attempts to problematize the ascription of negative values on menstruating women prevalent in both Hinduism and Christianity, two major world religions of the East and the West. After briefly stating the patriarchal values that restrict women from participating in religious rituals and shaming them during menstruation as seen from both these religions, the article highlights the alternate feminist perspectives in beliefs that positively value the menstruating bodies. Thus, the notion of profanity is revalued as sacred in these alternate religious perspectives. Drawing from the writings of Mary Douglas, we then examine the connection between the notion of purity/impurity and menstruation and argue that what makes something pure or impure depends upon the archetype the society chooses to represent itself. In itself, nothing is either pure or impure in the sense of having a value or disvalue. This argument is exemplified through a feministic-hermeneutic approach to the religious practices in two major world religions. The article concludes by uncovering the patriarchal values held by religions as the cause of menstrual taboos in religious practices and argues that the notions of purity/impurity and sacred/profane are the results of the valuations made—from a patriarchal or feministic perspective.