Self-medication in Primary Dysmenorrhea among Medical and Nursing Undergraduate Students of a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most common gynecological problems among adolescent females. It is defined as painful menses in women with normal pelvic anatomy, usually beginning during adolescence. This study aims to find out prevalence of self-medication practice in primary dysmenorrhea among medical and nursing undergraduate students. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital from November 2020 to March 2021 after taking ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee. Convenient sampling technique was used. A total of 269 female medical and nursing students with complaints of dysmenorrhea were enrolled and the remedial methods used by them such as self-medication, medical advice and home remedies for dysmenorrhea were asked using an online questionnaire delivered to participants. Data analysis was done in the Statistical Package of Social Sciences. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: Self-medication practice for dysmenorrhea was reported in 175 (65%) of students. The prevalence of mild or moderate pain was commonly present in age group 21-25 years. commonly used for self-medication was mefenamic acid 121 (48%), followed by ibuprofen 51 (20.3%) and paracetamol 41 (16.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Self-medication practice among medical and nursing undergraduate students is high despite awareness of adverse effects.