Cohort study, 2008
Do women with autism have PMS more often than women without autism?
Yes, women with autism had much higher rates of PMS compared to women without autism. In the autism group, 92% showed PMS symptoms, while only 11% of the control group did.
What they did
Researchers compared 26 women with autism and learning disability to 36 women with learning disability alone (matched for age, living situation, intelligence, marital status, number of children, behaviour problems, and ethnicity). Researchers watched for daily PMS symptoms over 3 consecutive menstrual cycles.
What they found
92% of women with autism met the diagnosis criteria for PMS based on a 30% or greater increase in symptoms in the luteal phase (the two weeks before the period). Only 11% of the control group met the criteria. This difference was highly statistically significant.
What it means for you
Women with autism are much more likely to have PMS than women without autism. This finding suggests that autism and menstrual cycle changes may be connected in some way. However, the study was small and limited to women with learning disability, so the findings may not apply to all women with autism.
92%
women with autism who met PMS criteria
11%
women without autism who met criteria
3
menstrual cycles observed
About the study
- Original title
- Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome in autism: a prospective observer-rated study
- Authors
- Obaydi H, Puri BK
- Journal
- The Journal of international medical research
- Year
- 2008
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 36
- What was tested
- No intervention; this was an observational study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/147323000803600208
Topics
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