Gynecological problems among adolescent girls in a tertiary care centre of South Andaman district

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundGynecological problems of adolescents occupy a special space in the spectrum of gynecological disorders because they are often different from the conditions that affect adult women. The objective of study was to determine the different gynecological problems in adolescent girls attending outpatient departments.MethodsAdolescent girls of age 10–19 years were included in this study. Various gynecological problems were evaluated by detailed history taking and thorough clinical examination. Investigations like haemogram, coagulation profile, hormonal assays and ultrasonography were done wherever indicated. Descriptive analysis was done and results are expressed in terms of percentage.ResultsA total of 824 (8.33%) adolescent girls attended the gynecology outdoor patient department (GOPD) during the study period. Menstrual disorders (67.11%) were the commonest complaint, followed by vaginal discharge (18.68%) and UTI (9.8%). Menstrual disorders varied from irregular menstruation (55.15%), dysmenorrhea (30.74%) and amenorrhea (14.10%). Dysfunctional uterine bleeding was the commonest cause of menstrual irregularity followed by polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD). Teenage pregnancy (0.84%) and ovarian tumor (0.60%) was found in a few cases.ConclusionAdolescent girls’ gynecological problems should be evaluated thoroughly and managed accordingly. Adolescent health education needs to increase awareness and give further attention to gynecological problems.