What are menstrual cramps?

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•Last Updated: October 25, 2023

Primary dysmenorrhea is the medical term for menstrual pain that occurs in the absence of any other underlying disease. It is generally more common in younger individuals and tends to taper off with age. Menstrual cramps affect roughly two-thirds of young women worldwide.^[1]^[2]

Last Updated:October 25, 2023

References

^Armour M, Parry K, Manohar N, Holmes K, Ferfolja T, Curry C, MacMillan F, Smith CAThe Prevalence and Academic Impact of Dysmenorrhea in 21,573 Young Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisJ Womens Health (Larchmt).(2019 Aug)
^The content of this page was partially adapted from MedlinePlus of the National Library of Medicine