Post-COVID-19 Menstrual Abnormalities among Medical Students at a Tertiary Care Medical College in Southern India: A Cross-sectional Study
Published: January 1, 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2024/66250.18940
Aliya Jabeen Syed, Badusha Mohammad, Praveen Kumar Lakinena, Venkata Vedantam, S Bhanu Prakash
1. Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.
2. Associate Professor, Department of Pulmonology, NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.
3. Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.
4. Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, East Tennessee State University, East Tennessee, Tennessee, USA.
5. Assistant Professor, Department of Freshmen Engineering, Godavari Institute of Engineering and Technology, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Aliya Jabeen Syed,
Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, Sangivalasa, Thagarapuvalasa, Visakhapatnam-531162, Andhra Pradesh, India.
E-mail: aliya.jabeensyed@gmail.com
Introduction: The emergence of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) caught the world by surprise, leading to a widespread global pandemic that has had profound and distressing effects on various levels. Its impact has been far-reaching, causing severe consequences that continue to unfold. COVID-19 is a multisystem inflammatory disease involving all organs, including the female reproductive system.
Aim: To determine the prevalence of COVID-19 among students and compare post-COVID-19 menstrual abnormalities in the home and hospital groups.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess post-COVID-19 menstrual abnormalities among medical students at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, in southern India from April to December 2022. A total of 600 medical students were approached, and 549 responded, among whom 258 students were reported as COVID-19 positive and 291 reported as COVID-19 negative. After excluding risk factors, 204 COVID-19 positive students were selected as the study population. Data were collected using a prevalidated questionnaire. The COVID-19 study population of 204 (100%) was further stratified into two groups based on the treatment taken at home 162 (79.4%) or in the hospital 42 (20.5%). Chi-square test and Fisher’s-exact tests were used to compare post-COVID-19 menstrual abnormalities, including cycle length abnormalities, Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB), dysmenorrhoea, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), and hypomenorrhoea.
Results: The prevalence of COVID-19 in the study population was 204, accounting for 37.15% of the total population 204/549. Out of the 204 students, 162 (79.4%) received home treatment, and 42 (20.5%) received hospital treatment. Post-COVID-19 menstrual cycle abnormalities were more prevalent in the hospital group 26/42 (61.9%) than in the home treatment group 76/162 (46.9%). The most common abnormality in both groups was PMS, with a prevalence of 21 (50%) in the hospital group and 38 (23.4%) in the home group. In the home group, 37 (22.8%) experienced longer cycles, 33 (20.3%) had dysmenorrhoea, and 19 (11.7%) had shorter cycles. In the hospital group, 14 (33.3%) had longer cycles, 13 (30.9%) experienced dysmenorrhoea, and 9 (21.4%) had shorter cycles. HMB was reported by 6 (14.2%) in the hospital group and 13 (8%) in the home group, while hypomenorrhoea occurred in 11 (6.7%) in the home group and 5 (11.9%) in the hospital group. A significant association (p=0.001) was found between the COVID-19 treatment groups and PMS. However, for other post-COVID-19 menstrual abnormalities, such as cycle length, dysmenorrhoea, HMB, and hypomenorrhoea, there was no significant association between these abnormalities and COVID-19 treatment groups.
Conclusion: Post-COVID-19 menstrual abnormalities were more frequently observed in the hospital group compared to the home group. All post-COVID-19 menstrual irregularities resolved within six months, except for PMS.
[
FULL TEXT ] | [ PDF]