--- title: Do women perceive more tension and pressure just before their period? description: Yes, women not taking birth control pills perceived significantly more pressure just before and during menstruation compared to mid-cycle. Women on birth cont url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/stability-of-perceived-tension-as-a-function-of-the-menstrual-cycle-1977/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women perceive more tension and pressure just before their period? Survey study, 1977 # Do women perceive more tension and pressure just before their period? Yes, women not taking birth control pills perceived significantly more pressure just before and during menstruation compared to mid-cycle. Women on birth control pills had stable perceptions throughout their cycle. Early or limited evidence 79 people including men and women, some using birth control pills and some not ## What they did Researchers studied 79 people (men and women, some on birth control pills, some not). Over two weeks, participants watched videos of interpersonal interactions and rated how much pressure they felt in each scene. Researchers tracked whether these ratings changed with the menstrual cycle. ## What they found Women not on birth control pills showed large changes in how they rated pressure, perceiving more in the premenstrual and menstrual phases than at mid-cycle. Women on birth control pills and men showed much more stable ratings. Women reporting more premenstrual symptoms showed the biggest shifts. ## What it means for you How women perceive interpersonal stress changes with their menstrual cycle. Birth control pills reduced this pattern, suggesting hormonal influence. This is a small 1977 study that doesn't explain why this happens or whether it affects daily functioning. 79 people studied 2 weeks duration between test sessions ## About the study Original title Stability of perceived tension as a function of the menstrual cycle Authors Englander-Golden P, Willis KA, Dienstbier RA Journal Journal of human stress Year 1977 Study design Survey study Participants 79 What was tested Birth control pill use (observed, not assigned) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/0097840x.1977.9936083](https://doi.org/10.1080/0097840x.1977.9936083) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/) 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. ## Related studies Randomised trial, 1999 Does calcium reduce PMS symptoms? Cohort study, 1993 How common are premenstrual and menstrual symptoms in women? Survey study, 2025 Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls? Case-control study, 2025 Do women with eating disorders experience more menstrual distress, and does birth control help? Survey study, 2023 Is PMDD diagnosis associated with more severe depression and anxiety and lower well-being? Survey study, 2020 Is PMS common in female university students and linked to anxiety, depression, and stress? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗