Menstrual Irregularities among Adolescence Girls: Incidence and Prevalence

Abstract

Adolescence is a transition period from childhood to adulthood. This complex passage from childhood to adulthood is particularly stressful for girls. The mean age at menarche varies from population to population and is known to be a sensitive indicator of various characteristics of population including nutritional status, geographical location, environmental conditions, and magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in a society. Abnormal condition of the menstrual cycles is deviation from what is normal for an individual women. The condition may occur in the frequency or length of the cycle, volume, or length of menstrual flow or the total number of years of menstruation. The healthy adolescent population is considered as a social agent of change toward a population with a healthier life style. The period of adolescence for a girl is a period of physical and psychological preparation for safe motherhood. One of the major physiological changes that take place in adolescent girls is onset of menarche which is usually associated with a number a problem, among which dysmenorrhea is the most common. In adolescents, disorders of menstruation may present as abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). Broadly understood, AUB includes absence of bleeding, irregular bleeding, abnormally heavy bleeding, and bleeding in between periods. The prevalence of these condition is significant not only in developing country but also in developed country. Menstrual disorders in adolescence may present diagnostic and management challenges for the gynecologist. This review will describe the common and uncommon menstrual disorders that may arise in early reproductive life, together with guidance on their investigation and management.