Interview study, 2020
Why do women feel more shame about their bodies during the premenstrual phase?
Body shame during the premenstrual phase is linked to cultural beauty standards and how women see themselves. The more premenstrual distress a woman experiences, the more body shame she tends to report.
What they did
Asked 116 women to complete a survey about premenstrual distress, body shame, and how they view their bodies. Eight women also had interviews about their experiences during the premenstrual phase.
What they found
Women with more premenstrual distress reported more body shame and menstrual shame. Interviews showed that women internalize cultural ideas about beauty and femininity, try to conceal their premenstrual bodies, and reduce self-care activities like exercise.
What it means for you
Premenstrual body shame comes from both physical changes and cultural messages women absorb about how their bodies should look. Helping women recognize and resist these harmful messages could reduce distress. The study mostly included women who responded online, so results may not apply to all women.
116
women surveyed
8
women interviewed
About the study
- Original title
- Women’s Experiences of the Premenstrual Body: Negotiating Body Shame, Self-Objectification, and Menstrual Shame
- Authors
- Samantha Ryan, Jane Maria Ussher, Janette Perz
- Journal
- Women s Reproductive Health
- Year
- 2020
- Study design
- Interview study
- Participants
- 116
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2020.1740482