It consists of crampy lower abdominal pain that generally begins several hours prior to the onset of a menstrual period, but may begin as much as 1 or 2 days in advance. The pain lasts 1 or more days into the period and then subsides.
Primary dysmenorrhea is caused by prostaglandin-induced uterine contractions.
Dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological complaint in adolescents, but the majority of cases are not associated with a disease and the physical examination is normal. Abnormal conditions associated with secondary dysmenorrhea include endometriosis , pelvic inflammatory disease , vaginal agenesis, and others. Secondary dysmenorrhea most commonly begins in women in their 20s. Increasing frequency of sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents has increased the percentage of dysmenorrhea cases associated with disease. There are no specific preventive measures for dysmenorrhea .