---
title: Do men and women report the same menstrual symptoms? | Niyora
description: No. Men and women reported similar symptoms during the premenstrual period and mid-cycle, but women experienced more cramps, stomach pain, and bloating during
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-symptoms-in-college-students-a-controlled-study-1983/
---

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- Do men and women report the same menstrual symptoms?

Survey study, 1983

# Do men and women report the same menstrual symptoms?

No. Men and women reported similar symptoms during the premenstrual period and mid-cycle, but women experienced more cramps, stomach pain, and bloating during menstruation. Women found these symptoms only modestly bothersome.

 Early or limited evidence

35 male and 35 female college students

## What they did

35 male and 35 female college students completed daily checklists of 15 common menstrual symptoms throughout a menstrual cycle. Researchers compared symptom ratings between men and women at different cycle stages.

## What they found

Men and women reported no differences in symptoms during the premenstrual period or mid-cycle. During menstruation, women reported significantly more sharp cramps, dull cramps, stomach pain, and bloating. Women rated these symptoms as only modestly distressing.

## What it means for you

Women experience more physical symptoms during menstruation itself, but men report similar numbers of general symptoms during the same calendar days when women are premenstrual or mid-cycle. This suggests some reported symptoms may be influenced by factors beyond the menstrual cycle. However, the study was small, included only college students, and tracked only one cycle per woman.

35

male students

35

female students

15

symptoms tracked

## About the study

Original title Menstrual symptoms in college students: a controlled study Authors Cox DJ Journal Journal of behavioral medicine Year 1983 Study design Survey study What was tested None; observational study. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/bf01315118](https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01315118)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)

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Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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