Premenstrual Syndrome Symptomatology among Married Women of Fertile Age based on Methods of Contraception (Hormonal versus Non-Hormonal Methods of Contraception)

Abstract

Introduction:Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to the cyclic occurrence of a set of disturbing physical, emotional or behavioral alterations that are of sufficient severity to interfere with interpersonal relations and routine life. Normal variations in gonadal estrogen and progesterone lead to biochemical reactions in the brain, resulting in PMS symptoms. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of PMS and PMDD signs among married women of fertile age (MWFA) based on the methods of birth control.Method and Materials:In a descriptive study, a number of 400 married women referring to 20 family healthcare clinics that use contraceptive methods were recruited and PMS questionnaire were administered to them.Results:From 400 subjects, 205 took oral contraceptive pills (hormonal methods of contraception) and 195 used other birth control methods (non-hormonal method). A number of 345 subjects (86.25%) at least experienced one PMS symptom and 55 subjects (13.75%) did not report any symptoms. Of those who use hormonal contraceptives (HCs), 182 (88.8%) reported PMS symptoms and 23(11.2) lacked any symptoms.Conclusion:About 86% of the subjects showed moderate to severe of PMS symptoms. Although using hormonal contraceptive method can theoretically reduce PMS symptoms, such effect was not observed in this study. The results of this research should be generalized with caution. Future studies are suggested.

Mental and Reproductive Health Correlates of Academic Performance among Debre Berhan University Female Students, Ethiopia: The Case of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

“…The prevalence rate of moderate/severe PMS in our study was 36.9%. This was higher than some other studies [10, 12, 33, 36, 37]. Furthermore, our study found that 17.0% of students reported impaired family relationship related to PMS experience.…”

Premenstrual Syndrome among Female Doctors at King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital: Prevalence and Impact on Work, Jeddah, 2014

“…19 Rizk, et al found PMS more in females with Emirati nationality. 23 No significant association was found between contraception use among married females and premenstrual syndrome, this is similar to results reported by Chayachinda 24 and Bakhshani, 25 while inconsistent with many others, who found OCP to decrease PMS diagnosis or severity as reported by Lopez, 26 Sadler, 17 and Maria, who found higher prevalence of the syndrome in women not using any hormonal contraceptive. 27 There was no significant association between psychiatric history and premenstrual syndrome, this result is consistent with only one study reported from USA by Joyce et al, which found past history of major depression is not related to PMS.…”

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder and premenstrual syndrome: an overview

“…Not all evidence supports the use of contraceptives, but they could be considered as first-line pharmaceutical interventions for women with PMDD who also require contraception (23).…”