A study on menstruation of Indian adolescent girls in an urban area of South India

BACKGROUND: Menstrual cycle is an important indicator of women's reproductive health. However, menstruation has a different pattern within a few years after menarche, which might not be well understood by many adolescent girls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 536 healthy menstruating females aged 10–19 years. Standardized self-reporting questionnaires were used to obtain relevant data. The categorical data were analyzed using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Mean age of menarche was 13 ± 1.1 years with wide variations, i.e., 10–17 years. 73.1% had cycle duration of 21–35 days. More than half of them reported 5–6 days’ duration of menstrual blood flow and 12% of the participants had >7 days of flow. Long blood flow duration was more prevalent in early than in late adolescence. 30.1% reported abundant blood loss. 66.8% had dysmenorrhea and no difference was observed between early and late adolescents. Menstrual cycles tend to be shorter in early adolescence period. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive school education program on menarche and menstrual problems may help girls to cope better and seek proper medical assistance.