It’s not all bad: Women’s construction and lived experience of positive premenstrual change

Abstract

Although premenstrual change is invariably pathologized and described as PMS or PMDD, there is evidence that many women experience premenstrual changes positively. This suggests that premenstrual change is both a lived experience and social construction, which is not inevitably positioned as debilitating or distressing. However, previous research has provided little insight into how and why women construct premenstrual change as positive. Accordingly, the present study used a critical realist epistemology and a material-discursive-intrapsychic model to explore women’s construction and lived experience of positive premenstrual change. Drawing on focus groups with 47 women, explanations for positive premenstrual experiences included: ‘positive emotional outcomes’, ‘releasing tension’, ‘increased attractiveness’, ‘legitimacy of self-care’ and ‘indication of menstruation’. Findings not only reinforce reports from previous research that many women experience positive premenstrual changes, but also challenge bio-medical conceptualizations of premenstrual change as inherently negative, with accounts of relational negotiation emphasizing the context-dependent nature of premenstrual change.

“I feel fat and ugly and hate myself”: Self-objectification through negative constructions of premenstrual embodiment

“…This can result in women feeling that they are constantly under surveillance and that their large breasts make them more noticeable and visible than other women (Millsted & Frith, 2003). Whilst some women feel “more attractive” as a result of premenstrual breast changes (King & Ussher, 2013), or having large breasts (Millsted & Frith, 2003), the accounts of women we interviewed reflect the greater body shame and social physique anxiety associated with an anticipated male gaze and objectification (Calogero, 2004). When this is added to the shame of being seen as “fat” (Parker & Pausé, 2019), it is not surprising to find that women engage in self-governance to conceal the premenstrual body.…”

Pathology or source of power? The construction and experience of premenstrual syndrome within two contrasting cases

“…In this vein, there is convincing evidence that during the premenstrual phase of the cycle, some women experience embodied and psychological change, accompanied by an increased sensitivity to external stress (Sabin et al., 1999; Ussher and Wilding, 1992). Emotions such as anger, sadness or irritability – as well as creativity or sexual desire – can also feel more powerful than usual premenstrually (Chrisler et al., 1994; King and Ussher, 2013), and the multiple tasking that is a normal part of many women’s lives can be more difficult (Slade and Jenner, 1980). However, women are not passive ‘sufferers’ of premenstrual change, despite their characterisation as such within biomedical discourse (e.g.…”

Learning About What’s “Down There”: Body Image Below the Belt and Menstrual Education

“…To replace the notion that PMS with its cluster of negative symptomatology is inevitable, we advocate following Chrisler's (1996) suggestion that potential menstrual-related experiences be articulated as changes instead of symptoms to avoid embedding menstruation within the context of illness. Positive premenstrual changes, which have been noted (King and Ussher 2012), can also be mentioned. Given that biomedical and psychological guidelines now suggest that premenstrual symptoms can persist even several days into one's menstruation (Hofmeister and Bodden 2016), the term 'premenstrual' is confusing to us, but may explain why anecdotally, we have noticed that PMS now seems to be a descriptor of both before and during at least part of one's menstrual cycle.…”