Dysmenorrhea among Female University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecological symptom among adolescent girls and young women. It can have a significant impact on females’ quality of life. The study aims to investigate the prevalence and impact of dysmenorrhea among Iraqi university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted across different universities, including (College of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry) in Baghdad/Iraq, from March to May 2021. The data was collected through a self-questionnaire of 1312 Iraqi female university students. Dysmenorrhea was reported by (51.5%) of university students. Nearly one-third (32.1%) of participants rating dysmenorrhea as mild, (13.3%) moderate, and (6.1%) severe.  Approximately (18.1%) of participants reported worsening of their menstrual pain, (21.3%) reported irregular menstrual cycles, (35.5%) reported increasing in learning difficulties, and (13.4%) reported increasing in the medication used to treat dysmenorrhea during the pandemic. The results revealed that there was a significant relationship between dysmenorrhea and the age of students, menstrual irregularity, medication use, and students who had Covid-19 infection (p-value < 0.005). In addition, there was a highly significantly relationship between dysmenorrhea and learning disabilities as well as poor interpersonal relationships among Iraqi university students during the COVID-19 pandemic (p-value < 0.001). According to the findings, dysmenorrhea has a negative impact on students’ attendance, academic performance, and their interpersonal interactions during the COVID 19 pandemic. Future studies need to focus on improving pain management strategies to reduce the effects of dysmenorrhea so that young women can optimize their educational and future life opportunities.