Survey study, 1996
Do women who experienced sexual assault have worse PMS symptoms?
Yes. Women with a history of sexual assault were about 2.39 times more likely to experience worse premenstrual distress, even when depression was accounted for. Women assaulted repeatedly by the same person had even higher risk.
What they did
Researchers combined data from two large US surveys asking about past sexual assault and current premenstrual symptoms. One survey included women averaging 42 years old (range 21-86 years); the other included women averaging 30.5 years (range 19-57 years). They analyzed whether sexual assault history was linked to worse premenstrual symptoms.
What they found
Women who experienced sexual assault were about 2.39 times more likely to report serious premenstrual distress compared to women without this history. This higher risk remained even when depression was controlled for. Women assaulted multiple times by the same person showed higher risk of about 2.91 times more likely.
What it means for you
There is a real connection between sexual trauma and worse PMS symptoms that is separate from depression. This might explain why some women experience more severe PMS. The limitation is that it relies on women's memories of past events and trauma, which can be affected by many factors.
2.39
times more likely to have premenstrual distress with assault history
2.23
times more likely when depression is controlled
2.91
times more likely with repeated assault
About the study
- Original title
- Sexual Assault History and Premenstrual Distress in Two General Population Samples
- Authors
- JACQUELINE M. GOLDING, Diana Taylor
- Journal
- Journal of Women s Health
- Year
- 1996
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None - observational study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1089/jwh.1996.5.143
Topics
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