---
title: How do women talk about PMS with their partners? | Niyora
description: Women have mixed feelings about calling their symptoms 'PMS' to partners. Some use it to explain their distress, but it can also become the only explanation f
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/a-complex-negotiation-women-s-experiences-of-naming-and-not-naming-premenstrual-2008/
---

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- How do women talk about PMS with their partners?

Lab study, 2008

# How do women talk about PMS with their partners?

Women have mixed feelings about calling their symptoms 'PMS' to partners. Some use it to explain their distress, but it can also become the only explanation for how they feel or be dismissed as not legitimate.

 Early or limited evidence

60 Australian women in intimate relationships, interviewed between 2004 and 2006

## What they did

Researchers interviewed 60 Australian women between 2004 and 2006 about how they talked (or didn't talk) about PMS with their intimate partners. They asked why women chose to name PMS or avoid naming it, and what happened when partners brought it up.

## What they found

Three main patterns emerged: women used 'PMS' to explain their distress; 'PMS' became the only explanation offered for their feelings; and women felt PMS wasn't accepted as a legitimate reason for their mood or behavior. The experience was often complex and mixed.

## What it means for you

Healthcare providers working with couples should know that women have complicated feelings about using the 'PMS' label in relationships. For some it's helpful, for others it's limiting or stigmatizing. This affects whether women seek help.

60

Women interviewed

3

Main patterns found

## About the study

Original title A complex negotiation: women's experiences of naming and not naming premenstrual distress in couple relationships Authors Mooney-Somers J, Perz J, Ussher JM Journal Women & health Year 2008 Study design Lab study Participants 60 What was tested None—this is about women's lived experiences, not a treatment test Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/03630240802134134](https://doi.org/10.1080/03630240802134134)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)

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