How aware are Indian women of PMS?

Background: Menstruation has been considered as a taboo which made it difficult for women to discuss and voice out their concerns, creating a void in understanding the vitality of menstruation for a healthy womanhood. Purpose of the Study: To investigate level of awareness on PMS among educated women in Indian society and to communicate that it is time that women accept and discuss about menstruation as a natural process, and indulge in psycho-physiological activities such as yoga to learn to manage such conditions. Methodology: A survey was conducted on 305 females aged between 14-31 years. The subjects were asked to write what do they understand by PMS and their level of awareness was assessed based on the responses provided. Results & Findings: Most of the subjects were not aware of PMS, very few gave either an inappropriate or a correct answer. Conclusion: It has never been ok to speak about menstruation in India. The lack of awareness leads to lack of hygiene and lowers the confidence level in women. Yoga plays a vital role by making it convenient for women to harmonise the psycho-physiological trauma before, during and after menstruation. It high time that we in Indian accept menstruation as a sign of good health and not a curse and it is ok to talk about it.

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