Menstrual periods that are heavy, prolonged or painful have been linked to worse exam grades among teenage girls in a UK study.
at the University of Bristol and her colleagues looked at more than 2600 girls aged between 13 and 16 who took part in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. No trans boys were included in the research. The girls were asked whether they experienced heavy or prolonged periods and moderate or severe menstrual pain at four points over three years.
The team then compared the responses to the rate at which the girls were absent from school and their grades in GCSE exams, a compulsory qualification in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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After controlling for factors such as body mass index and ethnicity, the researchers found that those who reported heavy or prolonged bleeding missed an additional 1.7 days of school per year compared with those without these menstrual symptoms.
They also scored an average of 5.7 fewer marks on their GCSEs 鈥� the equivalent of going down a grade on the old letter system, for example from an A to a B 鈥� and were 27 per cent less likely to achieve five standard passes, defined as scoring C or above.
The girls who reported moderate or severe menstrual pain missed 1.2 days more of school per year compared with those with little or no discomfort. They also scored 3.14 fewer marks at GCSEs and were 16 per cent less likely to obtain five standard passes.
奥辞尘别苍鈥檚 health has long been considered a neglected area of research. The situation is even worse with adolescent populations, says at the University of Texas at Austin.
鈥淭his study highlights the importance of talking about what you may be experiencing with your doctor,鈥� says Zwayne. Heavy or painful periods can be a sign of conditions such as endometriosis or fibroids.
Some students might be missing school because they lack access to the period products they need, says , a board member at the menstrual health charity The Pad Project in California. Although the researchers attempted to control for the participants鈥� socioeconomic status, which could affect their access to menstrual products, data was missing for some.
Writing in the paper, the researchers said: 鈥淲e presented our findings to a patient and public involvement group of adolescent girls currently in secondary school [for 11 to 18-year-olds], who reported difficulties focusing during menstruation, restricted toilet access, stigma, and insufficient period product provision. Therefore, it is likely that our findings remain highly relevant to current UK students.鈥�
medRxiv
