The importance of prevention, screening, and medical advice in maintaining menstrual health in women
Keywords:
menstrual health, prevention, screening, medical counselling, abnormal uterine bleedingAbstract
Menstrual health is a multidimensional indicator of reproductive, somatic, psychological and social
well-being. Although menstruation is a physiological process, menstrual symptoms and disorders
are among the most frequent reasons for gynaecological consultation and are closely linked with
iron-deficiency anaemia, chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility,
impaired school or work participation and reduced quality of life. This IMRAD-based integrative
review analyses the role of prevention, screening and medical counselling in maintaining menstrual
health among women and adolescents, with a specific emphasis on real-world data (RWD), realworld
evidence (RWE), digital health and artificial intelligence (AI). Literature was identified from
PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, WHO, UNICEF, ACOG,
FIGO, NICE, FDA and EMA sources, prioritising publications and guidance from 2020–2026. The
review found that systematic menstrual history-taking, early identification of abnormal uterine
bleeding using FIGO PALM–COEIN concepts, screening for anaemia in heavy menstrual bleeding,
adolescent-sensitive assessment of irregular cycles, and timely counselling on pain, contraception,
fertility, hygiene and red-flag symptoms are core clinical measures. RWD sources such as
electronic health records, e-prescriptions, laboratory databases, registries, pharmacovigilance
systems, insurance data, wearable devices and menstrual tracking applications can strengthen
longitudinal monitoring and personalised prevention. AI methods, including machine learning,
natural language processing, deep learning and explainable clinical decision support, may improve
risk stratification and symptom triage but require robust validation, privacy safeguards and bias control. In Uzbekistan, ongoing digital health reforms, e-prescription initiatives and reproductive
health services provide an opportunity to build integrated menstrual health surveillance and
counselling pathways.
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