"Menstrual Pain Patients Double in 9 Years... Half Are Young Women in Their Teens and Twenties"

Research Team of Korean Medicine Doctor Park Jin-hoon at Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine
Analysis of Medical Utilization Status of Patients with Primary Dysmenorrhea

Menstrual cramps.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The number of patients visiting hospitals due to primary dysmenorrhea, a condition where menstruation itself causes pain, has surged. Notably, half of these patients were young individuals in their teens and twenties.

The research team led by Korean Medicine Doctor Park Jin-hoon from Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute announced on the 5th that they analyzed the characteristics and medical utilization status of domestic primary dysmenorrhea patients using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. While research on treatment methods and effects for primary dysmenorrhea has been actively conducted, studies on medical trends to provide cost-effective treatment have been lacking, which motivated this study.

The team set the study population as 41,139 patients who were diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea or unspecified dysmenorrhea and used medical services at least once over nine years from 2010 to 2018. As a result, the number of patients visiting medical institutions for primary dysmenorrhea increased by 55.3%, from 4,060 in 2010 to 6,307 in 2018, and the total cost rose by 115.9%. The main age groups were 15?24 years old at 46.67%, 25?34 years old at 28.04%, and 35?44 years old at 14.95%, respectively.

In particular, the number of adolescent and young adult patients aged 15?24, who accounted for about half of all primary dysmenorrhea patients, doubled from 1,715 to 3,429 during the same period. The research team interpreted this as an effect of improved awareness among unmarried women who previously avoided gynecological treatment.

Jinhun Park, Korean Medicine Doctor at Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine.

Additionally, analysis of medical utilization among primary dysmenorrhea patients showed that 99.7% received outpatient care and 0.3% inpatient care, indicating a focus on outpatient treatment. The average number of visits per patient to medical institutions was about 3.5 times annually for Korean medicine clinics and about 1.5 times for Western medicine clinics, with the frequency of visits to Korean medicine institutions being more than twice that of Western medicine, a trend that remained consistent from 2010 to 2018.

Analysis of the total number of medical service provisions over nine years across all medical institutions showed treatment (44.39%), examination (36.7%), and testing (10.88%) in that order. In Korean medicine, treatment (72.4%) and examination (24.1%) accounted for a large proportion, whereas in Western medicine, examination (47.89%) and testing (20.57%) were more prominent.

Furthermore, the research team analyzed the total number and cost of Korean medicine treatments for primary dysmenorrhea. Acupuncture was the most frequently used with 54,269 cases, followed by moxibustion, thermal and cold meridian therapy, and cupping therapy.

Doctor Park said, “This study is the first paper reflecting Korea’s unique situation where Korean medicine and Western medicine are distinguished, conducted in a context where national-level medical status research on primary dysmenorrhea was scarce. It will provide information on primary dysmenorrhea to health experts and serve as basic data for related pilot projects and policy decision-making.”

The study was published in the August issue of the SCI(E)-level journal 'International Journal of Women’s Health.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.