ABSTRACT
Premenstrual syndrome is a common health problem affecting females and because of its cyclic occurrence it is postulated to have different effects on quality of life. To estimate the prevalence of menstrual disturbances, and to assess the impact of the severity of premenstrual symptoms on the quality of life of female medical students. A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted on 396 female medical students. A self administered anonymous questionnaire inquiring about symptoms of premenstrual syndrome [PMS] and the quality of life [QOL] using the WHOQOL brief form. The mean age of the respondents was 19.9 years. Results revealed that 89.6% of the participants experienced various degrees of at least one symptom of 21 PM symptoms included in the questionnaire. Ninety five and half percentage have somatic symptoms, mostly in the form of lower abdominal cramp, tiredness, acne and the least common reported symptoms were breast discomfort /nausea and vomiting/ swelling. Ninety five percentage and 92.4% have psychic and behavioral symptoms respectively. A significant negative correlation was observed between physical domain of QOL and behavioral PMS symptoms, also between psychological domain of QOL and both psychological and behavioral PMS symptoms. The prevalence of PM symptoms was high among medical students and it affected their QOL. Health education, appropriate medical treatment and counseling services, as part and parcel of the overall health service, should be provided to the affected female students