Intergenerational Traditional Practices for Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Phenomenological Study

This study aims to explore the intergenerational traditional practices and lived experiences of women regarding primary dysmenorrhea using a phenomenological approach.

Exploring safer, more effective, and natural treatment options is the primary way to manage primary dysmenorrhea. With the advancement of globalization, traditional treatment practices based on cultural traditions are increasingly supported and recommended.

In this descriptive phenomenological study, in-depth semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 24 women with a history of primary dysmenorrhea living in different provinces of Türkiye. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-stage analysis method. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist was used to report the study.

The analysis revealed five main categories related to women's experiences and traditional practices for primary dysmenorrhea. Participants commonly reported physical and emotional symptoms during the premenstrual and menstrual periods. Herbal teas, heat-based applications, and perineal practices were frequently used for symptom management. Traditional practices differed across generations; older women reported using a wider variety of culturally transmitted methods, whereas younger women tended to prefer hospital services and pharmacological treatments. Most participants perceived traditional practices as helpful in relieving menstrual discomfort.

In conclusion, women described traditional practices as helpful in managing primary dysmenorrhea symptoms, and these practices were shaped through intergenerational cultural transmission.