Why Do Some Spanish Nursing Students with Menstrual Pain Fail to Consult Healthcare Professionals?

Abstract

Dysmenorrhea is a problem that affects a large percentage of young women worldwide. Alarmingly, the majority of these women choose to self-medicate rather than consult a healthcare professional, despite the risks involved. The present study aimed to explore the reasons why undergraduate nursing students do not consult health care professionals regarding their menstrual pain. A qualitative study was conducted using an open question: “Why didn’t you consult a healthcare professional?” within the context of a research project on primary dysmenorrhea among nursing students at the University of Huelva, Spain. The responses of 202 women were analyzed using content analysis. Three categories were identified: assessment of the pain experienced, expectations, and experiences of professional care and selfcare. We found a striking normalization of the problem; notably, students downplayed the importance of the problem, considering that it was not worth consulting a physician. Furthermore, there was a notable degree of self-medication using non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). These results may be useful for orienting policies to raise social awareness of this problem and for designing health education strategies aimed at women with primary dysmenorrhea.

A systematic review of the menstrual experiences of university students and the impacts on their education: A global perspective

“…Independent of whether students studied in low-, middle-and high-income countries, most did not consult a health professional for their menstrual-related complaints [30,41,43,52,54,61,62,64,78,79,83,84,[89][90][91][92]. Among Spanish students, there was an overwhelming belief that pain was normal and something that most women experience, and thus medical advice was unnecessary [92].…”

“…Independent of whether students studied in low-, middle-and high-income countries, most did not consult a health professional for their menstrual-related complaints [30,41,43,52,54,61,62,64,78,79,83,84,[89][90][91][92]. Among Spanish students, there was an overwhelming belief that pain was normal and something that most women experience, and thus medical advice was unnecessary [92]. However, they also cited that they did not have the time to see a doctor; thought their doctor would trivialize the pain or prescribe them analgesics or birth control pills instead; they preferred to endure the pain, or decided to self-manage it through medication or non-pharmacological approaches.…”

Nursing Students’ Perceptions of Menstrual Distress during Clinical Practice: A Q-Methodology Study

“…Besides, all nursing students associated with Factor I took and/or carried painkillers. The painkillers can reduce menstrual pain [ 6 , 17 ]; in addition to painkillers, clinical instructors are responsible for reminding students to practice self-care, including resting, locally applying heat packs, drinking herbal tea, and walking [ 3 ]. Through reminders, nursing students can implement appropriate self-care strategies.…”

“…Previous studies have shown that menstrual discomfort can lead to student absenteeism and affect learning effectiveness adversely [ 2 , 6 , 7 ]. Furthermore, conservative self-care [ 3 , 16 ] and painkiller consumption [ 6 , 17 , 18 ] have been shown to facilitate menstrual distress management among nursing students. However, these studies are broad investigations, and they did not focus on the specific impact of menstrual distress during clinical practice; additionally, these effects and subsequent coping strategies were not classified in these studies.…”

“…While facing the symptoms of menstrual distress, most nursing students manage menstrual distress primarily through conservative self-care; care strategies include rest, locally applying heat packs, drinking herbal tea, taking a hot shower, walking [ 3 ], antalgic positions, massages, and local heat [ 16 ]. Nursing students with moderate and severe menstrual pain reported using painkillers like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); a majority of these nursing students choose to self-medicate [ 6 , 17 , 18 ].…”