Sex role orientation, sex typing, occupational traditionalism, and perimenstrual symptoms

Historically the study of sex roles and perimenstrual symptoms has produced conflicting results. Nevertheless, a stereotype has pervaded which depicts lack of femininity or rejection of the female role as a major contributor to various kinds of gynecologic problems, particularly perimenstrual distress. This study sample consisted of a nonclinic, community‐based, randomly selected group of 179 women ages 18–35 who were interviewed in their homes. Study instruments included the Moos Menstrual Distress questionnaire, Index of Sex Role Orientation, Bern Sex Role Inventory and U.S. government statistics on percentages of men and women in certain occupations. Findings suggest that sex typing and sex role orientation are unrelated to perimenstrual symptom reports. Women who perform more traditionally feminine occupations report more severe perimenstrual negative affect. Investigators in women's health care are urged to look beyond acceptance or rejection of the female role to understand women's perimenstrual symptomatology. Furthermore, clinician's attributions of perimenstrual symptomatology to sex role rejection can lend them to pejoratively and erroneously label women and may negatively affect women's self‐esteem.