Attitudes towards menstruation: what women want? An Italian National Survey

Abstract

Objective

Many women experience negative feelings during menstrual bleeding. Aim of the study was to evaluate the attitudes of Italian women towards menstrual bleeding, their desire to reduce its frequency and knowledge of the existence of methods capable of achieving such an objective.

Methods

An internet-based anonymous questionnaire has been sent to women willing to fill it in through different social media (Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter). The survey evaluated, objective parameters such as number of pads, use of painkillers, duration of period and pain intensity. Judgement towards period and knowledge about methods to reduce frequency and amount of menstrual flow were analysed.

Result

1072 Women aged 18 − 40 years, answered the survey. The level of education of responders was high, with 61.7% having a university degree. 27.5% of respondents viewed positively the occurrence of a menstrual period. Ideal frequency of menstrual cycles was considered 3 months and the perfect duration was considered to be 3 days. Half of the respondents ignored the existence of methods to suppress menstruation or reduce its frequency. 52% of participants stated that they would not use a contraceptive method because they considered it not ‘natural’.

Conclusions

In our sample, in spite of the discomfort reported by half of the women interviewed, menstruation was considered positively by one fourth as because confirm their fertility. The majority of women did consider bleeding every month a healthy, but they preferred a three-monthly frequency. Knowledge of contraceptive methods capable of reducing the frequency of menstrual bleeding was scarce.

摘要

目的：许多女性在月经出血时会产生负面情绪。这项研究的目的是评估意大利女性对月经出血的态度、她们减少月经出血频率的愿望以及是否存在能够实现这一目标的方法。

方法：通过不同的社交媒体（Instagram、WhatsApp、Facebook、Twitter）向愿意填写问卷的女性发送了一份基于互联网的匿名问卷。调查评估了客观参数, 如护垫的数量、止痛药的使用、持续时间和疼痛强度。分析了对月经周期的判断以及减少月经次数和月经量的方法。

结果：1072名18-40岁女性回应了调查。应答者的教育水平很高, 61.7%拥有大学学位。27.5%的受访者积极看待经期的发生。理想的月经周期频率为3个月, 理想的持续时间为3天。一半的受访者忽视了抑制月经或减少月经频率方法的存在。52%的参与者表示, 他们不会使用避孕方法, 因为他们认为这不是“自然”的。

结论：在我们的样本中, 尽管一半受访女性报告了不适, 但四分之一的女性认为月经是积极的, 因为确认了她们的生育能力。大多数女性确实认为每月出血是健康的, 但她们更喜欢三个月一次。关于能够减少月经出血频率的避孕方法的知识很少。

Keywords:

• Amenorrhoea
• bleeding patterns
• combined hormonal contraceptives
• dysmenorrhoea
• menstruation

Disclosure statement

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organisation or entity with a financial interest in, or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).