Self-medication in Primary Dysmenorrhea among Undergraduate Students in a Medical College: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea is painful menstruation in women with normal pelvic anatomy, usually beginning during adolescence, primarily associated with a normal ovulatory cycle. There is an increased likelihood of self-medication among medical students. The aim of this study is to find out the prevalence of self-medication in primary dysmenorrhea among undergraduate students in a medical college. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a medical college among undergraduate female students with primary dysmenorrhea from 1 February 2022 to 31 May 2022. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee of the same institute (Reference number: 254/2021). Convenience sampling was done. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 213 students with primary dysmenorrhea, self-medication was found to be in 78 (36.62%) (30.15-43.09, 95% Confidence Interval)). Among all the self-medications used, mefenamic acid was most common, used by 45 (57.69%) students, followed by paracetamol 11 (14.10%). Conclusions: The prevalence of self-medication practice in primary dysmenorrhea among undergraduate students was lower when compared to similar studies done in similar settings.