A case control survey and dysmenorrhea in a family practice population: a proposed disability index.

: Dysmenorrhea, though rarely coded as a diagnosis in the records of family physicians, is a common problem in their female patients. Responses to a questionnaire indicated that at least 50 percent of women experience menstrual pain at one time with a minimum of 29 percent experiencing pain in any two-month period. The average duration of pain was greater than one day. A disability index was developed which revealed that half the women were Grade 3, or severely disabled. This study suggests that menstrual pain is a common problem in family practice and clearly ranks as a major cause of temporary disability in women patients.