{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,29]],"date-time":"2026-06-29T22:57:30Z","timestamp":1782773850353,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,4]],"date-time":"2022-02-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1643932800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pharmacol."],"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:<\/jats:bold> In women with rheumatic diseases (RDs) menstruation-related disorders have never been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate gynecological symptoms\/disorders in fertile age women with RDs.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Materials and methods:<\/jats:bold> All patients (n = 200) filled up a self-administered questionnaire on their gynecological history, menstrual cycle pattern, menstrual-related symptoms, and quality of life (QoL). The RD group was then compared to a control group of 305 age-matched fertile age women.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:<\/jats:bold> Among patients with RDs, 58% had arthritis, 40% connective tissue diseases (CTDs), and 1.5% systemic vasculitis. No differences were observed between CTDs and arthritis, except for a family history of HMB which was more common among women with CTDs (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> &amp;lt; .01). When compared to controls, women with RDs reported more frequent heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) during adolescence (51.7 and 25.4%, respectively; <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = .0001) and adult life (37.7 and 25.9%, respectively; <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = .0065). Also, dysmenorrhea in adolescence was significantly more common among cases (55.6 and 45.4%, respectively; <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = .0338). Gynecological pain (dysmenorrhea, non-menstrual pelvic pain, dyspareunia, dysuria, and dyschezia) in patients with RDs was more frequent than in controls (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = .0001, .0001, .0001, .0001, .0002, respectively). Considering women who reported moderate and severe symptoms in RDs, dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia remain significantly more frequent in women with RDs than in controls (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = .0001; <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = .0022; respectively). QoL scores were significantly reduced in women with RDs, either in physical (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = .0001) and mental domains (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = .0014) of short-form 12.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusion:<\/jats:bold> Women affected by RDs frequently presented menstruation-related disorders; thus, female patients with RDs should be questioned about gynecological symptoms and referred to the gynecologist for an accurate evaluation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2022.807880","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,4]],"date-time":"2022-02-04T07:27:36Z","timestamp":1643959656000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Menstruation-Related Disorders\u2014Dysmenorrhea and Heavy Bleeding\u2014as Significant Epiphenomena in Women With Rheumatic Diseases"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Martina","family":"Orlandi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Vannuccini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Khadija","family":"El Aoufy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Ramona","family":"Melis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gemma","family":"Lepri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gianluca","family":"Sambataro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Bellando-Randone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Serena","family":"Guiducci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco Matucci","family":"Cerinic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Felice","family":"Petraglia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1001\/archderm.142.3.371","article-title":"Sex Hormones and the Genesis of Autoimmunity","volume":"142","author":"Ackerman","year":"2006","journal-title":"Arch. 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