Abstract
Background
Studies from several countries suggest women differ in their preferred length of nonbleeding
intervals, yet studies to date have not explored the social determinants of such preferences.
Method
We report results from a menstrual preference and social survey of 1207 healthy women
in three age groups (18���20, 25���34 and 45���49 years) and two educational strata
(high and low educational attainment), from Campinas (Brazil), Heidelberg (Germany)
and Ann Arbor (USA) (���400 women from each country).
Results
Women's preferred length of nonbleeding intervals differed significantly between countries.
In Ann Arbor, only 15.5% of women preferred to bleed monthly, vs. 30.2% in Heidelberg.
In both Ann Arbor and Campinas, approximately one-third of women preferred to ���never���
have menses, compared to 8.2% in Heidelberg. Multivariate analyses indicated that
country, church attendance, stress and menstrual pain were significant predictors
of women's preferences.
Conclusion
The most common preference among women was to bleed once every 3 months, but preferences
varied substantially by country groups. Preferences for nonbleeding intervals were,
in part, explained by personal experiences of stress or menstrual pain, but unexplained
cultural differences persist between country groups.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 21, 2007
Accepted:
March 20,
2007
Received in revised form:
March 18,
2007
Received:
January 18,
2007
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Published by Elsevier Inc.
