Why do doctors ask if periods are regular, but not about pain?
This is partly a rant and partly a genuine question.
I have been seeing a lot of doctors of various specialties lately and they all ask if my period is regular. I understand menstrual cycle is an important indicator of one’s overall health, fair enough. However, they never ask about pain. I have started actively introducing this information myself (“Are your periods regular?” “Yes, but I have horrible pain.”) and most of the time they don’t even comment on it, they look at me funny as if they didn’t want to hear about it or maybe they say something like “Yeah, a lot of women have that” and move on, and when I read my report after the session, it’s never noted down. They write “period is regular”, but absolutely no mention of the pain. It makes me feel like it’s okay if I suffer as long as I suffer regularly.
Why is it so important to know if it’s regular, but debilitating pain is irrelevant information? Isn’t that also an indicator that something is wrong? Is it just a case of doctors being dismissive, or is there a medical reason why regularity is more relevant?
Edit: It seems the post wasn't clear. I am not talking about seeing an OBGYN to address period issues, but about seeing doctors of unrelated specialties for an unrelated problem. These doctors are of course not expected to diagnose nor treat period-related issues. The question is about taking the patient's medical history, not looking for treatment. I apologize for the confusion.