Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2020, 10, 1000-1010 https://www.scirp.org/journal/ojog ISSN Online: 2160-8806 ISSN Print: 2160-8792 DOI: 10.4236/ojog.2020.1080095 Aug. 6, 2020 1000 Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Prevalence and Factors Associated with Dysmenorrhea in Parakou, Benin Mahublo Vinadou Vodouhe 1 , Rachidi Sidi Imorou 1 , Raoul Atade 1 , Kabibou Salifou 1 , Ulrich Vignonzan 1 , Nouessewa Fanny Maryline Hounkponou 1 , Koffi N’tcha 2 , Awadé Afoukou Achille Obossou 1 1 UFR of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Parakou, Parakou, Benin 2 Laboratory for Studies and Research on Social Dynamics and Local Development, Parakou, Benin Abstract Background: Dysmenorrhea is a common symptom of gynecology that caus- es social and economic disruption in the lives of women who suffer from it. But many of them consider it inevitable and do not consult a health worker. Knowing the factors associated with this condition could help reduce its fre- quency and impact. Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors asso- ciated with dysmenorrhea in Benin in 2017. Method: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study from 17 April to 17 May 2017. It involved 822 women aged 15 to 44 selected by a cluster sampling technique. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, functional signs, and medical care was collected using questionnaires. The relationship between these factors and dysmenorrhea was analyzed using the chi2 test. The protocol was accepted by the ethics committee for biomedical research of the University of Parakou. The patients had given their informed consent. Results: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 72.6% (95% CI = [69.48; 75.57]). Dysmenorrhea was pre- dominantly primary (75%). 6.9% of women suffering from dysmenorrhea were using oral contraceptive. Asthenia and irritability are the most common accompanying signs of dysmenorrhea in 68.2% and 54.4% of cases respec- tively. Age, marital status, socio-professional occupation, educational level and parity were the factors associated (P < 0.001) with dysmenorrhea. A pro- portion of 87.3% of women suffering from dysmenorrhea had no medical care. Conclusion: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea is high in our climes. It would be important to raise awareness among women for medical and psy- chosocial care taking into account associated factors. Keywords Dysmenorrhea, Menstruation, Associated Factors How to cite this paper: Vodouhe, M.V., Sidi Imorou, R., Atade, R., Salifou, K., Vignonzan, U., Hounkponou, N.F.M., N’tcha, K. and Obossou, A.A.A. (2020) Prevalence and Factors Associated with Dysmenorrhea in Parakou, Benin. Open Journal of Obstet- rics and Gynecology, 10, 1000-1010. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojog.2020.1080095 Received: June 11, 2020 Accepted: August 3, 2020 Published: August 6, 2020 Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access