Primary dysmenorrhea is common among women in Sub-Saharan Africa

What the study found: Primary dysmenorrhea, meaning painful menstruation without underlying pelvic pathology, was found to affect nearly three-quarters of women in Sub-Saharan Africa. The pooled prevalence across the included studies was 73.49%.

Why the authors say this matters: The authors state that regional estimates of prevalence and associated factors are limited, and their findings help synthesize evidence on this burden in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study suggests that family history, menstrual cycle patterns, and sexual intercourse are linked with primary dysmenorrhea in the region.

What the researchers tested: The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies published between 2008 and 2025. They searched PubMed, Scopus, HINARI, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and university repositories, then used Joanna Briggs Institute tools for data extraction and quality appraisal and STATA 17 for pooled analyses.

What worked and what didn't: Sixty-five studies with 28,813 participants from 12 Sub-Saharan African countries were included. Family history of dysmenorrhea, irregular menstrual cycles, and short cycle length of less than 21 days were associated with higher odds of primary dysmenorrhea, while sexual intercourse was associated with lower odds; subgroup analyses showed variation across countries, and sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the findings.

What to keep in mind: The review included cross-sectional studies, so the abstract does not describe causal conclusions. The abstract does not provide detailed country-level results, and limitations are not otherwise described in the available summary.

Key points

• The pooled prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea was 73.49% among women in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Family history of dysmenorrhea was associated with higher odds of primary dysmenorrhea.
• Irregular menstrual cycles and short cycle length were also associated with higher odds.
• Sexual intercourse was associated with lower odds of primary dysmenorrhea.
• The review included 65 studies and 28,813 participants from 12 countries.