Survey study, 2012
Do women want to stop or reduce their periods?
Yes. In this survey of 1,111 Brazilian women, 64.3% said they disliked menstruation. The majority wanted to use contraceptives to reduce or stop bleeding completely.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 1,111 women at public health clinics and university staff about their attitudes toward menstruation and whether they would use contraceptive pills to control or stop their periods.
What they found
64.3% of women reported disliking menstruation. 65.3% wanted to never bleed, 18.2% wanted to bleed less than monthly, and 16.5% wanted to bleed monthly or more. More than 60% said they would use contraceptive pills to control bleeding, 82% would use them to reduce bleeding, and 86.1% would use them to stop bleeding completely.
What it means for you
Many Brazilian women are interested in controlling or stopping their periods using contraceptive pills. Women who liked menstruation tended to have fewer years of schooling, low socioeconomic status, less frequent menstruation, and at least one child. The main limit is that this is a survey of attitudes, not actual use or effects.
64.3%
women who disliked menstruation
82%
would use contraceptives to reduce bleeding
86.1%
would use contraceptives to stop bleeding
About the study
- Original title
- Opinion and experience of Brazilian women regarding menstrual bleeding and use of combined oral contraceptives
- Authors
- Makuch MY, Duarte-Osis MJ, de Pádua KS et al.
- Journal
- International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
- Year
- 2012
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 1,111
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.11.018
Topics
Related studies
Systematic review, 2025
Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS?
Systematic review, 2020
How common is PMS among women of reproductive age in Ethiopia?
Review, 1999
Does vitamin B6 supplement help treat PMS symptoms?
Cohort study, 2026
Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how much physical activity women do?
Randomised trial, 2026
Does yoga or foot reflexology work better for teenage PMS?
Survey study, 2026
How common is PMS in female medical students and how much does it affect their daily life?