Menstrual disorder and its treatment seeking among adolescent girls in India: evidence from nationwide survey

Abstract

Background Adolescents make up 18 % of India’s total population, with 116 million being girls. Most research has focused on menstrual health and hygiene practices, with limited studies on menstrual pain/disorder (MPD) among adolescent girls using micro-level data from specific regions of India. Objectives This study aims to investigate the prevalence of menstrual pain/distress, its treatment-seeking behavior, and its associated predictors among adolescent girls. Methods The study employed data from a cross-sectional study design and interviewed 6,715 adolescent girls from 16 major States of India. Results The prevalence of MPD among adolescent girls was 61.8 %. Of these, a higher proportion of girls reported severe abdominal/back pain (90 %), followed by severe distress/irritation (26 %) and heavy bleeding (21 %). Findings suggest that girls who were educated about menstrual health were more likely to identify MPD and seek its treatment. Regarding treatment seeking for MPD, surprisingly, only about 14.3 % of girls sought treatment from health personnel, while 61 percent did not seek treatment at all. Home remedies (57 %), medical shops (25 %), and frontline workers or primary health centers (20 %) were found to be the preferred source of treatment. The prevalence of MPD and its treatment-seeking varies significantly by socio-economic characteristics. Conclusions The findings underscore the importance of providing menstrual health education and raising awareness of early identification and treatment-seeking among adolescent girls. The Government of India’s efforts in initiating Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthaya Karyakram (RKSK) programs are noteworthy. Having sufficient and well-trained peer educators can accelerate the process of health education and generate demand for healthcare services.