Dysmenorrhea, characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort associated with the menstrual cycle, and other menstrual symptoms such as lower back pain, headaches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea are frequently reported by women of reproductive age. Although widely studied in younger women, the occurrence of menstrual symptoms during perimenopause is still under-investigated, and there is limited knowledge about the continuation or worsening of these symptoms, highlighting the need for more research in this population.

Investigate the occurrence of menstrual symptoms in perimenopausal women.

This is a cross-sectional study approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Data collection was performed using a structured questionnaire available on the Google Forms platform, focusing on aspects related to dysmenorrhea and menstrual symptoms. Menstrual pain was assessed using an 11-point Numeric Pain Scale (NPS), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 signifies the worst imaginable pain. The research dissemination occurred online through social media channels. The study included women in the perimenopausal period, aged 35 years or older. Exclusions applied to pregnant women, those who had not menstruated in the past year, or those reporting health conditions related to secondary dysmenorrhea (associated pelvic disease). Data were presented as mean, standard deviation, and percentage. An analysis was conducted to examine the association between reports of dysmenorrhea during adolescence and the perception of menstrual symptoms during perimenopause, with relative risk calculated. A significance level of 5% was considered.

A total of 1,040 women participated in the study, with a mean age of 39.8 ± 4.1 years. The majority of participants (58.2%) were in a marital union. Among the study participants, 49.1% reported experiencing menstrual symptoms since adolescence; 34.5% were nulligravida, and among those who had given birth, 65% had undergone a cesarean section, 25% had a vaginal delivery, and 10% had experienced both types of childbirth. Over the past three months, the average dysmenorrhea intensity assessed by the Numerical Pain Scale (NPS) was 4.9 ± 3.0, with 9.1% of participants reporting no pain, 26.7% reporting mild pain, 27.3% reporting moderate pain, and 35.9% reporting severe menstrual pain. A significant association was observed between a history of dysmenorrhea during adolescence and the occurrence of menstrual symptoms in perimenopause (p = 0.03). Women who experienced dysmenorrhea during adolescence had a 35% higher risk of developing menstrual symptoms in perimenopause compared to those without a history of adolescent dysmenorrhea (RR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.21 to 1.42).

The occurrence of menstrual symptoms in perimenopause, especially dysmenorrhea, reported by most participants as severe pain, is associated with a history of dysmenorrhea during adolescence.

The findings highlight the importance of monitoring women with menstrual symptoms during perimenopause.