Attitudes of Spanish women toward premenstrual symptoms, premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder: results of a nationwide survey

ObjectiveTo assess the attitudes of women with premenstrual symptoms in relation to their perception of complaints and request for medical advice.Study designCross-sectional study of a representative cohort of 2018 Spanish women aged 15-49 years. Participants were personally interviewed at home and completed the premenstrual symptoms screening tool.ResultsA total of 1554 women (73.7%) complained of some of the premenstrual symptoms during the last 12 menstrual cycles. The prevalence of moderate or severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) was 8.9% and the prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) 1.1%. Only 291 (18.7%) women had sought medical advice. The main reason given by 90.6% of symptomatic women for not seeking medical consultation was to consider that symptoms were normal. A total of 175 (60.1%) women received pharmacological treatment (hormonal contraceptives in 95% followed by analgesics in 50% and anti-inflammatory agents in 44%), 20% were not treated because physicians considered that symptoms were not important and would disappear spontaneously, and 12% received only advice to change life style.ConclusionWomen suffering from PMS or PMDD do not usually seek medical advice and among those seeking medical care, in many cases, an adequate response to their demands is not obtained.