Ramos Pichardo, Juan DiegoOrtega Galán, Ángela MaríaIglesias López, María TeresaAbreu Sánchez, AnaFernández Martínez, Elia2020-11-112020-11-1120201660-4601http://hdl.handle.net/10641/2086Dysmenorrhea is a problem that affects a large percentage of young women worldwide. Alarmingly, the majority of these women choose to self-medicate rather than consult a healthcare professional, despite the risks involved. The present study aimed to explore the reasons why undergraduate nursing students do not consult health care professionals regarding their menstrual pain. A qualitative study was conducted using an open question: “Why didn’t you consult a healthcare professional?” within the context of a research project on primary dysmenorrhea among nursing students at the University of Huelva, Spain. The responses of 202 women were analyzed using content analysis. Three categories were identified: assessment of the pain experienced, expectations, and experiences of professional care and selfcare. We found a striking normalization of the problem; notably, students downplayed the importance of the problem, considering that it was not worth consulting a physician. Furthermore, there was a notable degree of self-medication using non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). These results may be useful for orienting policies to raise social awareness of this problem and for designing health education strategies aimed at women with primary dysmenorrhea.engAtribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 Españahttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/DysmenorrheaMenstrual painQualitative researchPain managementjournal articleopen access10.3390/ijerph17218173