Heavy menstrual bleeding in adolescents: Prevalence, quality of life, and treatment-seeking behavior

To determine the prevalence of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in adolescents and the affecting factors and to examine the effect of this condition on their treatment-seeking behaviors and quality of life (QoL).

This cross-sectional study was carried out with 299 girls aged 13-19 years and their parents who visited the pediatrics outpatient clinic for examination at a state hospital in a district in Turkey. Data were collected through a questionnaire form developed by the researchers and the Quality of Life Scale (QoLS) for Children, Adolescent Evaluation Form.

Around half of the adolescents (48.2%) were found to have HMB, and only 23.4% of those who reportedly had heavy/very heavy bleeding consulted a physician for this reason. No statistically significant difference was detected between the presence of HMB in adolescents and consulting a physician for heavy/very heavy bleeding. In comparison to those who did not have HMB, adolescents who had HMB were found to obtain significantly lower QoLS overall and subscale scores, except for the physical health dimension.

The results of this study suggest that HMB is common in adolescents, yet treatment-seeking behaviors on the issue are not at the desired level, which has negative effects on many areas of QoL.