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Review Article| Volume 1, ISSUE 1, P23-30, 1988

Primary dysmenorrhea and the adolescent patient

  • Roger P. Smith
    Correspondence
    Address reprint requests to: Roger P. Smith, M.D., Associate Professor and Chief, Section of General Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia, School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
    Affiliations
    Section of General Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia
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      Abstract

      Primary dysmenorrhea represents an extremely common cause of school and work absence as well as general disability for adolescent and young women. Improved understanding of the biochemical and mechanical changes responsible for primary dysmenorrhea make specific therapy directed at the underlying cause possible. Therapy with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents can provide relief in 60−95+ % of patients. Objective studies of uterine activity indicate that these agents act to suppress the uterine activity associated with dysmenorrhea pain. By understanding the therapies available it is now possible to talk of effective pain prevention for these patients. The adolescent with dysmenorrhea need no longer be disabled by menstrual pain.

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