---
title: Does PMS affect sexual satisfaction? | Niyora
description: Yes. Women with PMS reported less sexual satisfaction and more sexual distress than women without it, though PMDD alone did not show the same clear difference
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/sexual-satisfaction-in-females-with-premenstrual-symptoms-2010/
---

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- Does PMS affect sexual satisfaction?

Case-control study, 2010

# Does PMS affect sexual satisfaction?

Yes. Women with PMS reported less sexual satisfaction and more sexual distress than women without it, though PMDD alone did not show the same clear difference.

 Early or limited evidence

1,540 Polish women aged 18 to 45, including 749 with PMS and smaller matched groups with PMDD

## What they did

Researchers surveyed 2,500 Polish women aged 18 to 45 about their periods and sex lives. After applying eligibility rules, 1,540 women were included, split into a PMS group (749) and a healthy group (791), plus a smaller matched comparison between 32 women with PMDD and 32 without.

## What they found

77.73% of women with PMS were sexually satisfied versus 88.66% of those without PMS (P=0.001). More women with PMS reported sexual distress, 28.65% versus 15.24% (P=0.001). PMS remained linked to lower sexual satisfaction even after adjusting for other factors (odds ratio 0.48, confidence interval 0.26-0.89, P=0.02). There was no significant difference in sexual satisfaction between the PMDD and non-PMDD groups.

## What it means for you

PMS appears to be a real risk factor for feeling less satisfied sexually, at least in this group of Polish women. The study only looked at one region of Poland and relied on questionnaires, and it could not prove that PMS directly causes the lower satisfaction, only that the two are linked.

77.73% vs 88.66%

Sexually satisfied with PMS vs without

28.65% vs 15.24%

Reported sexual distress with PMS vs without

0.48

Odds ratio for lower satisfaction with PMS

## About the study

Original title Sexual satisfaction in females with premenstrual symptoms Authors Nowosielski K, Drosdzol A, Skrzypulec V et al. Journal The journal of sexual medicine Year 2010 Study design Case-control study Participants 2,500 What was tested None tested; this was an observational survey comparing women with and without PMS/PMDD Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01927.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01927.x)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)

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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