Abstract

ABSTRACT: Pain associated with menstruation is termed as Soothagavali in siddha medicine, also referred as dysmenorrhea in modern aspect of medicine. Dysmenorrhea is a major gynecological problem among female adults. Female medical students are no exception .Studies report dysmenorrhea is very common among reproductive age group of women. The objective is to estimate the prevalence of soothagavali (dysmenorrhea) among female students.  A total of 268 female UG students were included in the study. A cross sectional study was done during the month of May 2018 to August 2018.A self administered questionnaire was used to collect personal details, food habits, daily habits and menstrual details of the participants. Prevalence of dysmenorrhea is 77.2% with 14.2% mild pain, 46.3% moderate pain and 16.8% severe pain. Participants who had long menstrual cycle interval, underweight, mixed diets were likely to had dysmenorrhea. Major study participants were not taking medications for dysmenorrhea .Conclusion: Dysmenorrhea is common among female students of Govt.Siddha medical college, Palayamkottai. It is very important to spread awareness about the causes and treatment of dysmenorrhea to avoid unwanted health issues and decreased quality of life. Keywords: Dysmenorrhea, Female medical students, Prevalence, Soothagavali