Nearly two in three adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh experience menstrual disorders, with painful periods disrupting daily life and forcing many to miss school, finds a new study conducted by icddr,b.
The AdSEARCH study, a research project of icddr,b, also found significant gaps in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) knowledge among adolescents, highlighting the need for earlier and more effective health education.
The findings were presented at a dissemination seminar held at a club in the city on Thursday, bringing together health experts, policymakers, representatives from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), and development partners to discuss the state of adolescent health in Bangladesh.
The 24-month cohort study was conducted involving 2,713 adolescents from icddr,b's Baliakandi Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), with data collected every four months between 2023 and 2025.
One component followed 1,255 adolescent girls aged 12-16 years and found that 64 per cent of them experienced at least one menstrual disorder.
Painful periods, or dysmenorrhoea, were the most common condition, affecting 56 per cent of girls. One in three experienced painful periods during three or more menstrual cycles over the study period, while nine per cent reported persistent menstrual pain, said the study findings.
Nearly 40 per cent girls said menstrual pain interfered with daily activities, and around one in four missed school because of period pain or heavy bleeding. Among girls with persistent menstrual pain, 43 per cent also experienced additional menstrual complications.
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