Incidence of anovulatory menstrual cycles among dysmenorrheic and non-dismenorrheic women: Effects on symptomatology and mood

affection in the adolescent population (French, 2005; Harel, 2002) and different studies have reported prevalence rates ranging from 25% up to 90% of females in the samples studied (Larroy, Crespo, & Meseguer, 2001; Polat et al., 2009). This affection is very common during the teenage years after the menarche and less often in women after the age of 20-25 years (Freeman, Rickels, & Sondheimer, 1993). Other authors affi rm that dysmenorrhea is more prevalent during mid and late adolescence with the establishment of normal ovulatory cycles (Harel, 2002). This dysfunction brings with it a group of physical symptoms including menstrual pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, headache and syncope, which appear to be associated with menstruation and do not have an identifi able organic or pathological cause (French, 2008; O’Connell, Davis, & Westhoff, 2006). In addition, dysmenorrhea may also be associated with emotional changes. Studies employing retrospective questionnaires have found that dysmenorrheic (D) women report cyclical changes in psychological symptoms such as irritability, diffi culty concentrating, crying spells, anxiety and depression (Alonso & Coe, 2001; Granot et al., 2001; Groër, Carr, & Younger, 1993). Among the proposed explanations for the appearance of these symptoms, the most widely accepted one postulates a hormonal cause. Some studies have found that during anovulatory cycles induced by oral contraceptives (OCs), menstrual symptomatology diminishes (Clayton, 2008; Harel, 2002; Vercellini et al., 2003) and the use of oral contraceptives to alleviate dysmenorrhea has been advocated (Davis, Westhoff, O’Connell, & Gallagher, 2005; Harel, 2002). In particular, a low-dose combination oral contraceptive seems to be highly effective in relieving pain in primary dysmenorrhea (Hendrix & Alexander, 2002; Legro et Psicothema 2010. Vol. 22, no 4, pp. 654-658 ISSN 0214 9915 CODEN PSOTEG www.psicothema.com Copyright © 2010 Psicothema