Women's Menstrual Cycles Affected After Earthquakes

MONDAY, Sept. 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Women's menstrual cycles are affected after an earthquake, with an increased risk for irregularities seen in association with posttraumatic stress symptoms, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in Brain and Behavior.

Sibel Kiyak, R.N., Ph.D., and Serap Bati, Ph.D., from Necmettin Erbakan University in Konya, Turkey, examined the relationship between posttraumatic stress and menstrual irregularities among women of reproductive age residing in regions affected by the 2023 earthquake in Turkey. The analyses included 309 women of reproductive age living in 11 provinces. Data were collected online nine months after the earthquake.

The researchers found that after the earthquake, there was an increase in menstrual irregularities among women (44.8 versus 14.3 percent). Posttraumatic stress symptoms, comorbid chronic diseases, and smoking were risk factors for menstrual irregularities. The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder was 22.7 percent, which was associated with menstrual irregularities. Higher sensitivity for detecting irregular menstrual cycles was seen with setting the cutoff score of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised at 45.50.

"Postearthquake mental health recovery programs must be planned and implemented to specifically include women with menstrual irregularities," the authors write. "At the same time, considering that psychosocial effects are important in the menstrual irregularities experienced by women after the earthquake, it is recommended that more research be conducted in this area."

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