Significant Number of Women in Spain With Menstrual Pain Avoid Gynecological Care

A recent study highlights a concerning statistic regarding women's health in Spain: approximately 20% of women suffering from menstrual pain have never consulted a gynecologist. This finding emerges from a comprehensive research project published in Frontiers in Public Health, which assessed the experiences of 3,490 women aged 14 and older, either born or residing in Spain.

The research reveals that a substantial 70.9% of women experience menstrual discomfort regularly, yet only 45% attend gynecological appointments annually. Alarmingly, 35% visit a gynecologist less than once a year, while nearly one in five women have never sought gynecological care.

The study, led by a team from the Institute for Innovation and Knowledge Management (INGENIO), a collaboration between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), identifies common symptoms associated with menstrual pain, including dysmenorrhea, abdominal bloating, diarrhea, and heavy menstrual bleeding. The researchers emphasize the importance of addressing this issue, as untreated menstrual pain can significantly impact women's quality of life and lead to long-term health complications.

Lead researcher Sara Sánchez-López points out that many women feel overlooked by healthcare professionals, often due to factors such as weight, anxiety history, or simply being female. This phenomenon, referred to as the 'gender pain gap,' describes the tendency of the healthcare system to underestimate or inadequately treat pain experienced by women. Such disparities can foster mistrust in medical professionals, discouraging women from seeking necessary care and prompting them to rely on non-medical alternatives.

Sánchez-López notes that the normalization of menstrual pain detracts from timely diagnoses and effective treatments. Conditions like endometriosis, for instance, can take several years--between four and eleven--to diagnose, despite causing debilitating pain and significant lifestyle disruptions.

The study also highlights various personal accounts regarding the prevalent prescription of contraceptives for menstrual pain relief, often with few alternative treatments available. Some women reported being advised to consider pregnancy as a potential solution to alleviate their symptoms, further illustrating the challenges faced in accessing appropriate treatments.

Co-author Rocío Poveda Bautista, also from INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), adds that the lack of trust in medical specialists leads many women to forgo medical help, even when symptoms are severely disabling. Those who do seek care often feel dismissed or receive incorrect diagnoses, with many being prescribed contraceptives without thorough examinations.

The type of healthcare system significantly influences women's access to gynecological services, as noted by Santiago Moll López, another co-author of the study. Women utilizing private healthcare tend to have more frequent gynecological consultations compared to those relying on public services. The study found that 71.4% of postmenopausal women within the private healthcare system attend annual check-ups, contrasting sharply with just 39.1% of those in the public system.

This disparity underscores the inequalities in healthcare access, particularly for women of varying income levels, which may hinder their ability to receive accurate diagnoses and effective treatments.

In light of these findings, the research team calls for immediate changes to improve the understanding and management of menstrual health. Proposed measures include gender-sensitive training for healthcare professionals, public awareness campaigns to challenge the normalization of menstrual pain, and structural reforms aimed at enhancing access to gynecological care within public health systems.