ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) represent a range of both psychiatric and physical symptoms that impair quality of life and interfere with daily activities in females. AIMS: To assess the prevalence of PMS and PMDD in Egypt, Jordan and Syria, its demographic associations and the potential link to sexual harassment (SH). METHODS: We used an Arabic version of the premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST) to assess the prevalence of PMS and PMDD. Another two-part questionnaire was used to assess the harassment experience. RESULTS: 22,021 women agreed to fill the questionnaire; the majority (65%) aged 18-25 years old. PMS was more prevalent in Egyptian women 77.7% followed by women from Jordan 72.9% then Syria 66.3%. PMDD prevalence followed the same order (40%, 34.7% and 28.2%). Both conditions were significantly associated with obesity and working in medical careers (P = .001). 5733 women agreed to share their sexual harassment experience. Results showed a significant association between the diversity and frequency of sexual harassment and the frequency of the pre-menstrual conditions, PMS Frequency was 87.6%, 80.7% and 78% in participants who were harassed on daily basis Vs. once weekly or monthly vs. few times in their lifetime (p = .04). A similar statistically significant difference was noticed regarding having PMDD (66.4% vs. 47.6% vs. 42.5%). CONCLUSION: The study showed high levels of both PMS and PMDD. The data provided by this study also sheds light on a potential link between SH and developing Pre-menstrual disorders.
Subject(s)
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder , Premenstrual Syndrome , Sexual Harassment , Female , Humans , Adolescent , Young Adult , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Arabs , Quality of Life , Prevalence , Premenstrual Syndrome/diagnosis , Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder/diagnosis , Menstruation DisturbancesABSTRACT
Until 2018, Egypt had the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection globally, affecting approximately 7% of the population. Despite efforts in diagnosis and treatment since 2006, nearly 2 million individuals with chronic HCV infection had yet to be diagnosed as of early 2018. In December, 2018, a mass HCV screening campaign for adolescents aged 15-18 years was initiated. Among 3 024 325 adolescents screened, the HCV antibody seroprevalence was 11 477 (0·38%), of whom 8187 (78·7%) were HCV RNA-positive. Sustained virological response 12 weeks after completion of treatment (SVR12) was attained by 7327 (99·6%) adolescents with a fixed-dose combination of generic ledipasvir 90 mg plus sofosbuvir 400 mg. Although mass screening in this age group might not be regularly adopted by many health systems and its cost-effectiveness might be lower than the screening of adults and high-risk groups (eg, patients on haemodialysis, people who inject drugs), breaking the chain of transmission in younger populations should lead to a reduction in HCV incidence and complications, and hasten the elimination of the disease.
