---
title: What causes period pain, endometriosis, and PMS in teenage girls, and what treatments work?
description: Period pain affects 80-90% of adolescent girls and is caused by chemicals in the uterus and abnormal muscle contractions. Treatment starts with relaxation and
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/dysmenorrhea-endometriosis-and-premenstrual-syndrome-2002/
---

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- What causes period pain, endometriosis, and PMS in teenage girls, and what treatments work?

Survey study, 2002

# What causes period pain, endometriosis, and PMS in teenage girls, and what treatments work?

Period pain affects 80-90% of adolescent girls and is caused by chemicals in the uterus and abnormal muscle contractions. Treatment starts with relaxation and pain relief drugs, or hormonal medications if needed.

 Early or limited evidence

Adolescent girls (review article, no direct study population)

## What they did

A review examining dysmenorrhea (period pain), endometriosis, and premenstrual syndrome in adolescent girls, including their causes, effects on daily life, and treatment options.

## What they found

Dysmenorrhea affects 80-90% of adolescent girls and is caused by prostaglandins, leucotrienes, abnormal muscle contractions, and blood flow changes. Many girls miss school. Treatment includes relaxation, yoga, acupuncture, and pain relief drugs, or contraceptive pills and GnRH agonists if first treatments do not work. Endometriosis is less common with unclear causes but involves tissue responding to hormones. PMS is rare in adolescents and may link to existing mental health conditions.

## What it means for you

Period pain is very common in adolescent girls and has clear physical causes. Many treatment options exist, starting with non-drug approaches. This review focuses on younger girls, so findings are specific to teenagers.

80-90%

adolescent girls with dysmenorrhea

## About the study

Original title [Dysmenorrhea, endometriosis and premenstrual syndrome] Authors Tonini G Journal Minerva pediatrica Year 2002 Study design Survey study What was tested Treatment approaches reviewed: relaxation, pain relief, hormonal medications Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12388941/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12388941/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Endometriosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-endometriosis/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

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Cohort study, 2026

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Non-randomised trial, 2026

Does video-guided digital menstrual exercise reduce PMS and period pain in adolescent girls?

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