Summary NR 602 Week 5 Quiz Study Guide

Menstrual Cycle Disorders Primary dysmenorrhea occurs as a result of the release of prostaglandins during ovulatory cycles and produces painful menstruation. The greater the menstrual flow, the greater the pain associated with that menstruation. Ovulatory cycles commonly begin at the age of fifteen or sixteen years and may continue into the late forties or longer. Prostaglandin production is usually significant and is released within the first forty-eight hours of menstruation, when the pain is the greatest. Women who do not ovulate through the use of oral contraceptives do not experience primary dysmenorrhea. Secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by structural changes, such as endometriosis, inflammatory disease, or uterine fibroids. Primary amenorrhea is generally defined as the lack of menstruation (menarche) by the age of fourteen years without the development of secondary sexual characteristics. However, it can also be defined as the lack of menarche by the age of sixteen years with or without the development of secondary sex characteristics. Congenital defects are often the cause, including Prader-Willi and Kallman syndromes. Secondary amenorrhea is defined as the lack of menstruation for a period of six months in women who have already experienced menarche (previous menstruation). Secondary amenorrhea is caused by not only dramatic weight loss because of malnutrition or exercise but also extraordinary weight gain. Pregnancy is the most common cause of secondary amenorrhea (American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG], 2009, 2013).