---
title: How does the popular press describe premenstrual syndrome? | Niyora
description: Magazine articles about PMS from 1980 to 1987 were mostly negative and confusing, reinforcing negative stereotypes about women rather than helping readers und
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-media-construct-a-menstrual-monster-a-content-analysis-of-pms-articles-in-1990/
---

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- How does the popular press describe premenstrual syndrome?

Study, 1990

# How does the popular press describe premenstrual syndrome?

Magazine articles about PMS from 1980 to 1987 were mostly negative and confusing, reinforcing negative stereotypes about women rather than helping readers understand the condition.

 Early or limited evidence

78 magazine articles published between 1980 and 1987

## What they did

Analyzed 78 magazine articles about PMS published between 1980 and 1987. Looked at how articles described symptoms and treatments, the language and tone used, article titles, and which types of magazines covered the topic.

## What they found

Articles were generally negative in tone and showed strong bias toward reporting negative menstrual cycle changes. They presented a confusing mix of different symptoms and contradictory treatment advice. The coverage supported negative stereotypes about women with PMS.

## What it means for you

If you read magazine articles about PMS, you are likely to encounter negative and confusing information that treats the condition as a character flaw rather than a medical issue. The study only examined articles from one time period and did not look at whether coverage changed over time or differed between magazines.

78

articles analyzed

1980-1987

years covered

## About the study

Original title The media construct a menstrual monster: a content analysis of PMS articles in the popular press Authors Chrisler JC, Levy KB Journal Women & health Year 1990 Study design Study What was tested None - analysis of existing media coverage Read the paper [doi.org/10.1300/j013v16n02_07](https://doi.org/10.1300/j013v16n02_07)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)

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