Survey study, 1995
Does the uterus cause premenstrual symptoms?
Women who had their uterus removed showed large improvements in premenstrual symptoms. This suggests the uterus may play a role, though the study cannot prove this.
What they did
Asked women aged 28 to 45 who had their uterus removed to describe their health before and after surgery.
What they found
Before surgery, 56.1% had moderate to severe premenstrual tension. After surgery, only 18.9% had moderate to severe symptoms. Of 178 women who had regular premenstrual symptoms before surgery, 73% either lost their symptoms or said they were now minimal.
What it means for you
The uterus appears to play a role in premenstrual symptoms. However, this study has important limits: women had no control group to compare against, and they were recalling how severe their symptoms were before surgery, which may not be accurate.
56.1%
Moderate to severe symptoms before surgery
18.9%
Moderate to severe symptoms after surgery
73%
Improved or resolved symptoms
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual tension among hysterectomized women
- Authors
- Braiden V, Metcalf G
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology
- Year
- 1995
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 178
- What was tested
- Hysterectomy (surgical removal of uterus)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3109/01674829509024463
Topics
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