Survey study, 2010
How does menstruation affect teenage girls with cerebral palsy and their families?
Period problems are just as common in girls with cerebral palsy as in other girls. Most girls are happy with how periods affect their social life, but parents of girls with more severe cerebral palsy are more anxious and more likely to seek advice.
What they did
Families of girls aged 12-18 years with cerebral palsy attending a hospital completed a questionnaire about menstruation and its effects on the girl and family.
What they found
79 girls had started their period. Their average age was 15.11 years, and they had started their period on average at age 12.3 years. Severity of period problems was similar to girls without disabilities. 76% were happy with the effect of their period on their social activities. More than 50% of families had sought advice about periods before the girl started menstruating. Seeking advice was more common when disability was more severe and when periods affected social activities. Parents satisfied with current management were less likely to seek further treatment.
What it means for you
Girls with cerebral palsy experience similar period problems as other girls and most are satisfied with how periods affect their lives. However, parents of girls with more severe cerebral palsy are more anxious and more likely to seek advice. The main limit is that this information comes from what families reported, which is subjective.
79
girls who had started their periods
76%
happy with impact on social activities
12.3
average age at starting periods (years)
About the study
- Original title
- The impact of menstruation in adolescents with disabilities related to cerebral palsy
- Authors
- Zacharin M, Savasi I, Grover S
- Journal
- Archives of disease in childhood
- Year
- 2010
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 79
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1136/adc.2009.174680
Topics
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