APA Dictionary of Psychology

n. difficult or painful menstruation. The cause may be an obstruction in the cervix or vagina that traps menstrual blood, or the condition may be secondary to an infection or tumor. More than three fourths of cases are a primary, or functional, form of the disorder for which no physiological cause can be found. Dysmenorrhea may be characterized by cramplike pains in the lower abdomen, headache, irritability, depression, and fatigue. —dysmenorrheic adj.