Dysmenorrhoea, also known as period pain, is a leading cause of pain-related school absenteeism among adolescent girls, yet it remains poorly understood and is frequently dismissed. Many adolescents do not receive a pain assessment until their symptoms become severe and disabling, and emerging evidence suggests that untreated dysmenorrhoea may increase the risk of chronic pain later in life. But what if we could identify those at risk before the pain begins? In this episode, Dr Melissa Lenert and Dr Andrew Schrepf from the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Center at the University of Michigan join Josefine Gibson and Gabriela Moisés to discuss the burden of dysmenorrhoea and their latest research on risk factors for severe dysmenorrhoea and on factors influencing the burden of dysmenorrhoea . New findings—now published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health—suggest that risk factors for future dysmenorrhoea can be identified in female adolescents before their first menstrual period. Further research could one day help identify young people at greater risk of severe dysmenorrhoea, opening up possibilities to act before period pain becomes persistent or debilitating.

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https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(25)00213-5/fulltext