In this episode:

• Causes of menstrual pain and how to explain this to a young patient
• The range of experiences of bleeding and period pain possible in the first few years after menarche
• The ‘red-flags’ which might suggest a need for investigation or referral in a young women presenting with dysmenorrhoea
• The most effective treatments, OTC and prescribed for dysmenorrhoea and how to optimise their use
• Can you be too young to start the pill?
• The role of laparoscopy in the investigation of a young women with significant menstrual bleeding and/or pain

Host: Dr Terri Foran, Sexual Health Physician

Guest: Prof Sonia Grover, Gynaecologist & Pain Medicine Specialist

Total time: 37 mins

Recommended resources

• Oral contraceptives – Skipping periods when taking the pill | The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne
• Hormonal contraception – Debunking common myths | The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne
• Research – LongSTEPPP Project (Longitudinal Study of Teenagers with Endometriosis, Period and Pelvic Pain). This project will be recruiting teens who are seeing their GP for period pain from early next year. Complete the pre-screening questionnaire.

Blogs

• Heavy periods and retrograde bleeding | Noi Group
• Period pain | Noi Group
• PainBytes | Pain Management Network
• Young people sought for project to improve treatment of endometriosis and period and pelvic pain | Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
• The Explain Pain Handbook for patients is available through the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia (with profits from any sales aiding the Foundations work).

And for your enjoyment, some of Sonia’s TikToks!

• What happens to your uterus during your period
• Period bleeding – where does the blood go?
• How your ovaries release eggs each month