Menstrual Problems

 


Menstrual Problems
There are a variety of menstrual problems that can affect girls. Some of the more common conditions are:
· Dysmenorrhea (pronounced: dis-meh-nuh-ree-uh) is when a girl has painful periods.
· Menorrhagia (pronounced: meh-nuh-rah-zhuh) is when a girl has a very heavy periods with excess bleeding.
· Oligomenorrhea (pronounced: o-lih-go-meh-nuh-ree-uh) is when a girl misses or has infrequent periods, even though she's been menstruating for a while and isn't pregnant.
· Amenorrhea (pronounced: a-meh-nuh-ree-uh) is when a girl has not started her period by the time she is 16 years old or 3 years after starting puberty, has not developed signs of puberty by age 14, or has had normal periods but has stopped menstruating for some reason other than pregnancy.
Infections of the Female Reproductive System
· Sexually transmitted diseases. These include infections and diseases such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), human papilloma virus (HPV, or genital warts), syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and genital herpes. Most are spread from one person to another by sexual intercourse.
· Toxic shock syndrome. This uncommon illness is caused by toxins released into the body during a type of bacterial infection that is more likely to develop if a tampon is left in too long. It can produce high fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and shock.