The pain a woman can feel while having her menstrual cycle, or period, is called dysmenorrhea. It is also known as menstrual cramps or period pain. Period pain in a teenage girl having her first menstrual cycles is called primary dysmenorrhea. Period pain occuring when puberty is over is called secondary dysmenorrhea. Some 50 to 70% of teenage girls feel pain at times or every time during their periods. Period pain gets less frequent after 18. It is the first cause of non-attendance at school amongst girl teenagers and non-attendance at work amongst young women.