Common Menstrual Problems among Adolescent students

Menstrual cycles are a key driver of reproductive events in women, which is a physiological process and associated with the ability to reproduce. A period, or menstruation, marks the beginning of the process by which the uterus, or womb, prepares itself for pregnancy. Each month the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, is shed from the body, producing a period, and a new lining is grown to replace it. The first experience of a menstrual period during puberty is called menarche. The average age of menarche is 13, but menarche can typically occur between ages 8 and 18 yrs. Perimenopause is when fertility in a woman declines, and menstruation may occur infrequently in the years leading up to menopause, when a woman stops menstruating completely and is no longer fertile.1 As direct reproducers for future generations, the health of adolescent girls influences not only their own health, but also the health of future generation. A vast majority of adolescent girls in India are suffering from reproductive health morbidities. Reproductive morbidities such as dysmenorrhea, pre-menstrual syndrome, irregular menses, excessive bleeding during menstruation etc. are common in adolescent girls. Most of the adolescent girls remain silent without seeking health care. If these are not treated early, they could lead to various reproductive disabilities