Survey study, 2017
Is there a link between menstrual cycle phase and fatal self-harm?
Most women who died by suicide were in the premenstrual (late secretory) phase (41.7%), suggesting a possible connection. However, this is a small autopsy study from one region in India with no comparison group, so cause and effect cannot be proven.
What they did
Researchers autopsied 96 women aged 15-45 who had died by suicide in Kerala, India. They examined the uterine tissue under a microscope to determine which phase of the menstrual cycle each woman was in at the time of death.
What they found
41.7% of the women (40 cases) were in the late secretory or premenstrual phase of their cycle. 30.2% were in the early proliferative phase, 13.5% in the late proliferative phase, and the smallest numbers were in the lytic and early secretory phases.
What it means for you
The study suggests that the premenstrual phase might be connected to fatal self-harm in women, which could matter for mental health support. However, with no comparison group of women who survived, it cannot prove that menstrual cycle phase caused the deaths. It is also specific to one region in India.
96
women autopsied
41.7%
died in premenstrual phase
40
deaths in late secretory phase
About the study
- Original title
- ROLE OF PHASES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE IN FATAL SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE
- Authors
- V S Jidhin, V M Rajeev, Shilpa Babu S et al.
- Journal
- Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences
- Year
- 2017
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 258,075
- What was tested
- None (observational autopsy study)
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.14260/jemds/2017/1019
Topics
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