Menstrual pain severely affects almost half of US women - Brief Article

AORN Journal, April, 2002

Millions of women suffer mild to moderate pain during menstruation each month, according to a Jan 29, 2002, news release from Whitehall-Robins Healthcare. This pain usually is tolerable, but for 43% of US women the pain is so severe that it disrupts their daily lives. These findings come from a national StrategyOne omnibus survey conducted from Aug 16 to 20, 2001.

An estimated 600 million hours of work and $2 billion in productivity are lost each year due to menstrual pain. Approximately 18% of women surveyed said they have missed one or more days of work, school, or other activities during the past year because of menstrual cramps. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed said they experience one to five days of pain or discomfort during their menstrual period. There are many methods, however, to alleviate menstrual cramp pain, including exercise, heat therapy, leg elevation, and over-the-counter pain relievers.

This survey questioned 546 menstruating women ages 18 to 49 about menstrual pain and its effect on daily living. The sample was chosen by random digit dialing.

To Many, Menstrual Pain Puts Brakes on Career, Family Life, New Survey Finds (news release, Madison, NJ: Whitehall-Robins Healthcare, Jan 29, 2002) http://www.newsdesk.com (accessed 29 Jan 2002).

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