ABSTRACT
Dysmenorrhea is defined as painful menstrual cramps of uterine origin. While variations in the definition of dysmenorrhea make it difficult to precisely determine prevalence, estimates vary from 45% to 95%. Dysmenorrhea appears to be the most frequent gynecological condition among women of many different ages and nationalities (1,2). High rates of absenteeism from work and school are associated with dysmenorrhea, with 13% to 51% ever absent and 5% to 14% frequently absent due to the severity of symptoms (3). This translates not only into a significant impact on personal health, but also into a global economic impact. In the United States alone, it was estimated that the annual loss was 600million work hours and two billion dollars in the mid-1980s; in today’s dollars, this figure would be much higher (4).
