Otizmli Bireylerde Mensturasyon Özellikleri, Ağrı ve Genital Hijyen Davranışları: Ön Çalışma

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 3, 1177 - 1185, 25.09.2025

Seda Ayaz Taş , Seda Yakıt Yeşilyurt , Zehra Mecit , Eda Mert , Semih Yıldız

https://doi.org/10.37989/gumussagbil.1610917

Abstract

Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu (OSB) olan kadınların otizme bağlı olarak yaşadıkları somatik şikayetler gibi zorluklar menstrüel döngüden etkilenebilir. OSB'li kadınların menstrüasyon ağrısı, genital hijyen davranışları ve menstrüel özelliklerini araştırmayı amaçladık. Bu kesitsel çalışmaya yaşları 12-35 arasında değişen 35 birey (16 OSB'li birey ve 19 sağlıklı kontrol) dahil edilmiştir. Çalışmaya dahil edilme kriterleri; deney grubu için ASD tanısı almış olması ve adet görüyor olması, kontrol grubu için adet görüyor olmasıydı. Değerlendirmede motor fonksiyonlar Kaba Motor Fonksiyon Sınıflandırma Sistemi ile, ağrı Görsel Analog Skala ile, menstrüel semptomlar Menstrüel Semptom Anketi (MSQ) ile ve genital hijyen davranışları Genital Hijyen Davranış Ölçeği (GHBS) ile sınıflandırılmıştır. GHBS ve MSQ toplam ve alt ölçek puanlarında gruplar arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmamıştır (p>0.05). Sonuç olarak, OSB'li kadınlar ile sağlıklı kadınlar arasında adet dönemlerindeki ağrı, hijyen ve genel özellikler açısından benzerlikler olduğu görülmüştür. OSB'li kadınların menstrüasyon sırasındaki somatik şikayetleri ve ağrıyı tanımlama becerileri azalmış olabilir. Sonuç olarak, bu durum OSB'li bireylerin ve ebeveynlerinin menstrüasyon sırasında yaşanan fiziksel şikayetleri diğer zamanlarda yaşanan fiziksel şikayetlerden ayırt edememesinden ya da alternatif olarak bu şikayetlerin göz ardı edilmesinden kaynaklanıyor olabilir.

Dr. Öğr. Üyesi, Seda AYAZ TAŞ, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Health Sciences Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department, [e-mail], ORCID: 0000-0002-2778-0065
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi, Seda YAKIT YEŞİLYURT, Fizyoterapi ve Rehabilitasyon, İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Fizyoterapi ve Rehabilitasyon Bölümü, [e-mail], ORCID: 0000-0002-2522-6474
Uzm Fzt, Zehra MECİT, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Postgraduate Education Institute, [e-mail], ORCID: 0009-0003-6176-2340
Fzt, Eda MERT, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Postgraduate Education Institute, [e-mail], ORCID: 0009-0006-7310-4523
Fzt, Semih YILDIZ, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Postgraduate Education Institute, [e-mail], ORCID: 0009-0006-3674-6949

Keywords

Dismenore , Hijyen , Kadın sağlığı , otizim spektrum bozukluğu

Menstruation Characteristics, Pain and Genital Hygiene Behaviours in Individuals with Autism: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Difficulties such as somatic complaints experienced by women with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) due to autism may be affected by the menstrual cycle. We aimed to investigate menstruation pain, genital hygiene behaviours and menstrual characteristics of women with ASD. Thirty-five individuals (16 individuals with ASD and 19 healthy controls) aged 12-35 were included in this cross-sectional study. The inclusion criteria were having an ASD diagnosis and menstruation for the experimental group and having menstruation for the control group. The assessment included the classification of motor functions with Gross Motor Function Classification System, pain information with Visual Analog Scale, menstrual symptoms with Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ) and genital hygiene behaviours with Genital Hygiene Behaviour Scale (GHBS). Chi-square tests were used to determine whether there was a difference in terms of categorical variables. The t test was used to compare two independent groups.
There was no significant difference between the groups in the total and subscale scores of the GHBS and the MSQ (p>0.05). As a result, it was observed that there were similarities between women with ASD and healthy women in terms of the pain, hygiene, and general characteristics of during their menstrual periods. The ability of women with ASD to identify somatic complaints and pain during menstruation may be reduced. As a result, this may be due to individuals with ASD and their parents not being able to distinguish the physical complaints experienced during menstruation from the physical complaints experienced at other times, alternatively, because these complaints are ignored.
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi, Seda AYAZ TAŞ, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Health Sciences Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department, [e-mail], ORCID: 0000-0002-2778-0065
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi, Seda YAKIT YEŞİLYURT, Fizyoterapi ve Rehabilitasyon, İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Fizyoterapi ve Rehabilitasyon Bölümü, [e-mail], ORCID: 0000-0002-2522-6474
Uzm Fzt, Zehra MECİT, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Postgraduate Education Institute, [e-mail], ORCID: 0009-0003-6176-2340
Fzt, Eda MERT, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Postgraduate Education Institute, [e-mail], ORCID: 0009-0006-7310-4523
Fzt, Semih YILDIZ, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Postgraduate Education Institute, [e-mail], ORCID: 0009-0006-3674-6949

Keywords

Otizm spektrum bozukluğu , Dismenore , Hijyen , Kadın sağlığı

References

• 1. Lee Do. Menstrually Related Self-Injurıous Behavıor In Adolescents Wıth Autısm. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2004;43(10):1193. doi:10.1097/01.chi.0000135624.89971.d1
• 2. Skinner SR, Ng C, McDonald A, Walters T. A patient with autism and severe depression: medical and ethical challenges for an adolescent medicine unit. Medical Journal of Australia. 2005;183(8):422-424. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb07108.x
• 3. Kyrkou M. Health issues and quality of life in women with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 2005;49(10):770-772. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00749.x
• 4. 4. Burke LM, Kalpakjian CZ, Smith YR, Quint EH. Gynecologic Issues of Adolescents with Down Syndrome, Autism, and Cerebral Palsy. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2010;23(1):11-15. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2009.04.005
• 5. Solmi M, Radua J, Olivola M, et al. Age at onset of mental disorders worldwide: large-scale meta-analysis of 192 epidemiological studies. Mol Psychiatry. 2022;27(1):281-295. doi:10.1038/s41380-021-01161-7
• 6. Hallmayer J. Genetic Heritability and Shared Environmental Factors Among Twin Pairs With Autism. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68(11):1095. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.76
• 7. Zeidan J, Fombonne E, Scorah J, et al. Global prevalence of autism: A systematic review update. Autism Research. 2022;15(5):778-790. doi:10.1002/aur.2696
• 8. Fombonne E. Epidemiology of Pervasive Developmental Disorders.2009.http://www.dds.ca.gov/Autism/docs/AutismReport2003.pdf,
• 9. Groenman AP, Torenvliet C, Radhoe TA, Agelink van Rentergem JA, Geurts HM. Menstruation and menopause in autistic adults: Periods of importance? Autism. 2022;26(6):1563-1572. doi:10.1177/13623613211059721
• 10. Simantov T, Pohl A, Tsompanidis A, et al. Medical symptoms and conditions in autistic women. Autism. 2022;26(2):373-388. doi:10.1177/13623613211022091
• 11. Ochoa-Lubinoff C, Makol BA, Dillon EF. Autism in Women. Neurol Clin. 2023;41(2):381-397. doi:10.1016/J.NCL.2022.10.006.
• 12. Baron-Cohen S, Lombardo M V., Auyeung B, Ashwin E, Chakrabarti B, Knickmeyer R. Why Are Autism Spectrum Conditions More Prevalent in Males? PLoS Biol. 2011;9(6):e1001081. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001081
• 13. Ingudomnukul E, Baron-Cohen S, Wheelwright S, Knickmeyer R. Elevated rates of testosterone-related disorders in women with autism spectrum conditions. Horm Behav. 2007;51(5):597-604. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.02.001
• 14. Pohl A, Cassidy S, Auyeung B, Baron-Cohen S. Uncovering steroidopathy in women with autism: a latent class analysis. Mol Autism. 2014;5(1):27. doi:10.1186/2040-2392-5-27
• 15. Hamilton A, Marshal MP, Murray PJ. Autism Spectrum Disorders and Menstruation. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2011;49(4):443-445. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.01.015
• 16. Obaydi H, Puri B. Prevalence of Premenstrual Syndrome in Autism: A Prospective Observer-rated Study. Journal of International Medical Research. 2008;36(2):268-272. doi:10.1177/147323000803600208
• 17. Wertalik JL, Kubina RM. Interventions to Improve Personal Care Skills for Individuals with Autism: A Review of the Literature. Rev J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;4(1):50-60. doi:10.1007/s40489-016-0097-6
• 18. Jeyanthi P. Effectiveness of Audio Drama on Menstrual Hygiene and Management of Minor Ailments of Menstruation Upon Knowledge and Practice Among Visually Challenged Girls. 2017. PhD Thesis. Apollo College of Nursing, Chennai.
• 19. Oshinski MK, Falcomata TS, Erhard P. Interventions to Teach Intimate Care Skills to Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Synthesis of the Literature. J Dev Phys Disabil. 2023;35(5), 709-741. doi:10.1007/s10882-022-09884-3
• 20. Ariyanti TD, Royanto LRM. The Effectiveness of Social Stories and Video Modeling in Improving Self-Care Skills in Female Adolescents with Mild Intellectual Disabilities during Menstrual Periods. In: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Intervention and Applied Psychology (ICIAP 2017). Atlantis Press; 2018. doi:10.2991/iciap-17.2018.16
• 21. Kaçan H, Bayram Değer V, Sakız H. Outcomes of genital hygiene and anxiety training for mothers of girls with profound intellectual disabilities: A randomized controlled experiment. Int J Dev Disabil. Published online October 10, 2022:1-14. doi:10.1080/20473869.2022.2129126
• 22. Rosenbaum P, Palisano R, Neurology DB… & C, 2008 undefined. Development of the gross motor function classification system for cerebral palsy. 2008;50(4):249-253. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.02045.x
• 23. Robert RJ, Palisano P, Peter P, et al. Content validity of the expanded and revised Gross Motor Function Classification System. 2008;50(10):10. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.03089.x
• 24. Chesney MA, Tasto DL. The development of the menstrual symptom questionnaire. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 1975;13(4):237-244. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(75)90028-5
• 25. Güvenç G, Seven M, Akyüz A. Adaptation of the menstrual symptom questionnaire into Turkish. TAF Preventive Medicine Bulletin. 2014;13(5):367-374. doi:10.5455/PMB.1-1378840527
• 26. Karahan N. Development of a Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale: Validity and Reliability Study. Istanbul Medical Journal. 2017;18(3):157-162. doi:10.5152/imj.2017.82957
• 27. Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A. G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods. 2007;39(2):175-191. doi:10.3758/BF03193146
• 28. Laerkner E, Egerod I, Hansen HP. Nurses’ experiences of caring for critically ill, non-sedated, mechanically ventilated patients in the Intensive Care Unit: A qualitative study. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2015;31(4):196-204. doi:10.1016/j.iccn.2015.01.005
• 29. Altundağ S, Altunda S. Imparting genital hygiene skills to adolescents with intellectual disabilities attending a special education Centre: a quasi-experimental study on effect of short education. Int J Dev Disabil. 70(1):127-136. doi:10.1080/20473869.2022.2070421
• 30. Arslan R, Yanık D, Pekşen Akça R. Investigation of menstrual hygiene and self-care skills of adolescent girls with autism spectrum disorder: mother views. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2024; 1-9.doi:10.1007/s10803-024-06446-8
• 31. Sumpter C, Torondel B. A Systematic Review of the Health and Social Effects of Menstrual Hygiene Management. PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e62004. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062004
• 32. Wilson NJ, Cumella S, Parmenter TR, Stancliffe RJ, Shuttleworth RP. Penile hygiene: puberty, paraphimosis and personal care for men and boys with an intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 2009;53(2):106-114. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2008.01133.x
• 33. Kırbaş ZÖ, İlknur Kahriman, Kaşko Arıcı Y. Training female adolescent students with intellectual disabilities about genital hygiene skills using peer training. Int J Dev Disabil. 2022;68(3):332-341. doi:10.1080/20473869.2020.1774224
• 34. Lundy KM, Wenzbauer MA, Illapperuma CR, et al. Evaluating the Acceptability and Social Validity of a Caregiver-Led Technology-Based Menstrual Hygiene Management Intervention for Youth on the Autism Spectrum. Adv Neurodev Disord. 2022;6(3):315-330. doi:10.1007/s41252-022-00261-x
• 35. Türker D, Doğan H, Coban O, Goksuluk MB, Özengin N, Ün Yıldırım N. Menstrual health and genital hygiene status in adolescent girls and young women with cerebral palsy. Women Health. 2023;63(4):243-250. doi:10.1080/03630242.2023.2171175
• 36. Zacharin M, Savasi I, Grover S. The impact of menstruation in adolescents with disabilities related to cerebral palsy. Arch Dis Child. 2010;95(7):526-530. doi:10.1136/adc.2009.174680
• 37. Allely CS. Pain Sensitivity and Observer Perception of Pain in Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. The Scientific World Journal. 2013;2013:20. doi:10.1155/2013/916178
• 38. Lundy KM, Fischer AJ, Illapperuma-Wood CR, Schultz B. Understanding autistic youths’ menstrual product preferences and caregivers’ product choices. Autism. 2025; 29(2), 447-461. doi:10.1177/13623613241275280
• 39. Rand. 39. Randall KN, Hopkins CS, Drew HM, Kristina Randall CN. Menstrual education programs for girls and young women with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A systematic review. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 2024;37(4). doi:10.1111/jar.13264
• 40. Kırbaş Z, Kahriman I, Kaşko Arıcı Y. Training female adolescent students with intellectual disabilities about genital hygiene skills using peer training. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities.2022;68(3):332-341. doi:10.1080/20473869.2020.1774224