Survey study, 2023
Do male and female obstetricians and gynecologists approach PMDD and PMS diagnosis and treatment differently?
Yes. Female OB/GYNs were more likely to treat PMDD and PMS patients, more likely to use symptom diaries for diagnosis, and less likely to prescribe SSRIs as their first choice. This suggests the gender of the provider may influence how they approach these conditions.
What they did
Cross-sectional survey of 1,257 obstetricians and gynecologists in Japan who treat PMS and PMDD patients. The researchers analyzed survey data from the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology using multivariate regression adjusted for propensity scores to compare male and female doctors' practices.
What they found
Female OB/GYNs were more frequently engaged in treating PMS and PMDD patients than male colleagues (odds ratio 1.74, 95% CI 1.36-2.21). More female OB/GYNs selected the two-cycle symptom diary as their diagnostic method (odds ratio 2.88, 95% CI 1.80-4.60). Fewer female OB/GYNs selected selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as their first-line drug (odds ratio 0.39, 95% CI 0.17-0.89).
What it means for you
The approach to diagnosing and treating PMDD and PMS varies between male and female doctors. This suggests that a patient's experience may depend partly on the gender of their provider. The study does not explain why these differences exist and is limited to Japan.
1.74
Female vs male OB/GYNs' likelihood of treating PMDD/PMS
2.88
Female vs male OB/GYNs' use of two-cycle symptom diary
0.39
Female vs male OB/GYNs' use of SSRIs as first-line
About the study
- Original title
- Gender Differences in Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment among Japanese Obstetricians and Gynecologists: A Cross-Sectional Study
- Authors
- Takeda T, Yoshimi K, Inoue F et al.
- Journal
- The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
- Year
- 2023
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1620/tjem.2023.j059
Topics
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