---
title: How common is breast pain before your period and does it affect daily life?
description: Very common. 69% of women get premenstrual breast discomfort and 11% have moderate-to-severe pain. It affects sexual activity in 48% of women.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/prevalence-and-impact-of-cyclic-mastalgia-in-a-united-states-clinic-based-sample-1997/
---

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- How common is breast pain before your period and does it affect daily life?

Survey study, 1997

# How common is breast pain before your period and does it affect daily life?

Very common. 69% of women get premenstrual breast discomfort and 11% have moderate-to-severe pain. It affects sexual activity in 48% of women.

 Moderate study design

1,171 women at obstetrics and gynecology clinic

## What they did

1,171 women at a gynecology clinic answered a questionnaire about premenstrual breast pain, whether it affected their activities, and whether they had seen a doctor about it.

## What they found

69% reported regular premenstrual breast discomfort and 36% had seen a healthcare provider. 11% had current moderate-to-severe pain. Pain interfered with sexual activity in 48% of women, physical activity in 37%, social activity in 12%, and work or school in 8%. Young women under 36 with breast pain were 4.7 times as likely as symptom-free women to have had a mammogram.

## What it means for you

Cyclic breast pain is common and significantly impacts many women's lives but gets little medical attention. The study was only at one clinic type, so results might not apply everywhere.

69%

With premenstrual breast discomfort

11%

With moderate-to-severe pain

48%

Pain interferes with sexual activity

## About the study

Original title Prevalence and impact of cyclic mastalgia in a United States clinic-based sample Authors Ader DN, Browne MW Journal American journal of obstetrics and gynecology Year 1997 Study design Survey study Participants 1,171 What was tested None (questionnaire survey) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0002-9378(97)70450-2](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0002-9378(97)70450-2)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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