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http://www.madisonmag.com.au/life/could-pms-be-a-myth.htm
If you find yourself uncharacteristically annoyed and moody when that “time of the month” approaches, scientist are now saying blaming it on your period might not actually be a valid excuse.
Long have feelings like depression, stress and irritation been associated with menstruation – comedians joke about it, products are developed around it, and chocolate sales have banked on it. Yet, according to new research from the University of Toronto, there is no obvious link between women’s negative mood swings and the premenstrual phase of their cycles.
Academics studied 41 research reports that tracked the change in women's moods throughout their periods, both before and during. Their findings showed no evidence that PMS itself even existed.
What’s more, research found that only six (or 13.5 per cent) of the reports showed links between negative moods and the premenstrual phase, which Dr Gillian Einstein, director of the University of Toronto’s collaborative program in Women’s Health, says could be attributed to social perceptions and the fact women knew the real purpose of those studies, therefore influencing their responses.
“Before women even get their first period, they have heard about PMS. The notion is so ingrained in our culture that some of these studies are actually biased because women know the study is about PMS,” says Einstein.
So why do women attribute these moods to their period?
Einstein believes it stems from the fact PMS is a social construct, rooted in negative feelings many cultures have toward menstruation, a natural female function.
“There is so much cultural baggage around women’s menstrual cycles, and entire industries built around the idea that women are moody, irrational — even unstable — in the phase leading up to menstruation,” says Einstein.
Another possibility, she suggested, is that “this is the time of the month when women are given permission to not be sweet, docile and cheerful — expected attributes of women.”
Does it exist? Are all men evil?:laughing4
If you find yourself uncharacteristically annoyed and moody when that “time of the month” approaches, scientist are now saying blaming it on your period might not actually be a valid excuse.
Long have feelings like depression, stress and irritation been associated with menstruation – comedians joke about it, products are developed around it, and chocolate sales have banked on it. Yet, according to new research from the University of Toronto, there is no obvious link between women’s negative mood swings and the premenstrual phase of their cycles.
Academics studied 41 research reports that tracked the change in women's moods throughout their periods, both before and during. Their findings showed no evidence that PMS itself even existed.
What’s more, research found that only six (or 13.5 per cent) of the reports showed links between negative moods and the premenstrual phase, which Dr Gillian Einstein, director of the University of Toronto’s collaborative program in Women’s Health, says could be attributed to social perceptions and the fact women knew the real purpose of those studies, therefore influencing their responses.
“Before women even get their first period, they have heard about PMS. The notion is so ingrained in our culture that some of these studies are actually biased because women know the study is about PMS,” says Einstein.
So why do women attribute these moods to their period?
Einstein believes it stems from the fact PMS is a social construct, rooted in negative feelings many cultures have toward menstruation, a natural female function.
“There is so much cultural baggage around women’s menstrual cycles, and entire industries built around the idea that women are moody, irrational — even unstable — in the phase leading up to menstruation,” says Einstein.
Another possibility, she suggested, is that “this is the time of the month when women are given permission to not be sweet, docile and cheerful — expected attributes of women.”
Does it exist? Are all men evil?:laughing4
