---
title: How common are painful periods and PMS in teenage and young adult girls?
description: Both painful periods (92%) and PMS (86.3%) were very common and strongly linked. These numbers come from a large population-based study of girls in one Egypti
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/prevalence-and-patterns-of-dysmenorrhea-and-premenstrual-syndrome-among-egyptian-2018/
---

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- How common are painful periods and PMS in teenage and young adult girls?

Survey study, 2018

# How common are painful periods and PMS in teenage and young adult girls?

Both painful periods (92%) and PMS (86.3%) were very common and strongly linked. These numbers come from a large population-based study of girls in one Egyptian city.

 Early or limited evidence

4122 girls aged 12-25 in Egypt

## What they did

Population-based cross-sectional study of 4122 girls aged 12-25 in Egypt. Data collectors interviewed the girls using a structured questionnaire.

## What they found

Dysmenorrhea occurred in 92% and PMS in 86.3%. A strong association was found between dysmenorrhea and PMS. Gynaecological age was the only risk factor for painful periods. For PMS, gynaecological age, marriage, educational level, and sleeping hours were risk factors. The most commonly reported symptoms were backaches (63.3%), generalized aching (62.4%), and nervousness (43.5%). More than half of girls with painful periods reported drinking herbal fluids and taking pain medications.

## What it means for you

Both painful periods and PMS are extremely widespread among girls in this age group in Egypt and are closely related. Girls rely on home remedies and pain medications rather than medical care, and get information mainly from family members rather than healthcare providers. The main limit is this was only one city in Egypt.

92%

Had painful periods

86.3%

Had PMS

63.3%

Had backaches

## About the study

Original title Prevalence and patterns of dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome among Egyptian girls (12–25 years) Authors Ahmed Arafa, Shaimaa Ahmed Senosy, Hanaa Kamal Helmy et al. Journal Middle East Fertility Society Journal Year 2018 Study design Survey study Participants 4,122 What was tested None - observational study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.mefs.2018.01.007](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mefs.2018.01.007)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

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