Perception of university students about the use of painkillers, other remedies and lifestyle modifications for primary dysmenorrhea; a cross-sectional study at KEMU.

Introduction and objectives: Dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological complaint, affecting a significant percentage of menstruating women. The mainstay for the treatment of dysmenorrhea is NSAIDs and hormonal contraceptives while complementary and alternative therapies (CATs) are adjunct to it. This study investigates the perception of female medical students with dysmenorrhea towards the use of painkillers and CATs.

Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study among female medical students of Lahore by circulating the Google Forms-based questionnaire. Correlation analysis and logistic regression were applied using SPSS and descriptive statistics were given in frequencies and percentages.

Results: Out of 202 participants, 76.7%(n = 155) experienced dysmenorrhea. 46%(n = 93) of the respondents reported using painkillers; paracetamol being the most common. 68.8% (n = 139) used CATs; bed rest and hot compresses were most used. The most common reason for using painkillers was their effectiveness (61.6%), followed by availability (42.5%). For CATs, the reason of choice included to reduce the need for analgesic (58%) and safety (38.3%). About 40.1% of respondents believed CATs were less effective than painkillers. 84.1% agreed that long-term consumption of painkillers causes stomach ulcers or kidney damage. The factors that led to CATs not being preferred over painkillers included less information about them (33.7%), time-consuming (25.7%), and the concept of non-effectiveness (20.3%). Uni-variate logistic regression analysis showed that students with severe dysmenorrhea had higher odds of using painkillers as compared to the students who had mild dysmenorrhea. (OR: 6.319, 95% CI: 3.244-12.309, P = 0.000).

Conclusions: The prevalence of the use of CATs is high among female students as compared to painkillers and hormonal contraceptives (first-line). The reason for choosing CATs included reducing the need for analgesics, safety, and availability. Females should be encouraged to use the first-line therapies after consultation with doctors; for the effective management of dysmenorrhea and improvement of their quality of life.