Study, 2016
How do women experience PMS and what helps them manage it?
Women's experiences depend on their cultural beliefs, family support, how well doctors understood their condition, and how much symptoms affect daily life. Many women use traditional treatments alongside or instead of medical care.
What they did
Researchers interviewed 10 women in Bogotá, Colombia who had been diagnosed with premenstrual syndrome or other menstrual disorders. The interviews explored their experiences with treatment and management of these conditions.
What they found
Women's experiences were shaped by cultural beliefs about PMS, their family and social support, the quality of their diagnosis, how much symptoms affected daily activities, whether they received treatment promptly, feeling that their condition was taken seriously, and the quality of medical care. Traditional treatments were commonly used for managing menstrual symptoms regardless of whether women also received medical treatment.
What it means for you
How you experience PMS and manage it depends on many factors including your cultural background, your support network, and whether healthcare providers take your symptoms seriously. Many women find traditional remedies helpful for managing symptoms. This study is from Bogotá, Colombia, so experiences may be different in other places.
10
women interviewed in Bogotá, Colombia
About the study
- Original title
- Experiencias de mujeres con el tratamiento y manejo del síndrome premenstrual y trastornos menstruales
- Authors
- Helena Patricia Hernández A
- Journal
- Revista Colombiana de Enfermería
- Year
- 2016
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- Qualitative interviews about treatment and management experiences
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.18270/rce.v7i7.1445
Original abstract
Esta investigación buscó describir, desde un enfoque cuali - tativo, las experiencias que han tenido algunas mujeres en Bogotá con el tratamiento y manejo del síndrome premenstrual (SPM) o de trastornos menstruales (TM), teniendo en cuenta las condiciones sociodemográficas y los contextos culturales en los cuales se hallan inmersas. Para su desarrollo se usaron entrevistas a profundidad semiestructuradas, que fueron realizadas a diez mujeres diagnosticadas, con SPM, dismenorrea, amenorrea y metrorragia, residentes en Bogotá, Colombia. Se puede identificar que la experiencia de estas mujeres está sujeta a sus creencias y comprensiones culturales, a sus redes de apoyo, al diagnóstico, a la afectación que los síntomas generan en sus vidas cotidianas, al tratamiento oportuno, a la legitimación de su padecimiento y a la efectividad en la atención médica. Sobresalen los tratamientos tradi - cionales como pilar para el manejo de las molestias menstruales de la mujer independientemente del diagnós - tico y de recibir o no tratamiento médico paralelo.
Reproduced under CC-BY.