PREMENSTRUAL SYMPTOMS SCREENING AND SELF-MEDICATION AMONG WOMEN IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

Most women experience some premenstrual symptoms regularly. Because of this, PMS/ PMDD has emerged as a 20 century phenomenon, mostly since women now have better control over reproduction. The symptoms associated with these conditions may be minimal, moderate, or severe depending on the ratings of the symptoms recorded daily. Women also continue to report lower levels of productivity in the 5 to 10 days after the start of menses. As part of exploring these conditions, the study sought to examine the screening of premenstrual symptoms and self-medication acts among women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The findings were as follows. There were 56 participants in the study, with their ages ranging between 18 and 54. Most of the participants were also either working or students. Regarding diagnosis, nearly half of the sample (n=27, 48.2 %) were diagnosed as normal, while 4 out of 10 study participants (n=23, 41.1 %) had PMS. Additionally, 10.7 % were diagnosed as having both PMDD and PMS. On self-medication, the findings revealed that 1 out of every 2 study participants (n=28, 50 %) self-medicated to ease PMS/PMDD. Among the 28 persons, only 17 (60.17 %) had PMS/PMDD. These findings suggest that nearly half of persons who did not have PMS/PMDD self-medicated themselves thinking that they had PMS/PMDD. The findings of this study provide government and other policymakers with the data required to inform debate and to increase access to public health. Having established a sensible belief that PMS may substantially affect women in Saudi Arabia, further studies might estimate the magnitude of the problem.