--- title: Do girls' attitudes about menstruation affect what symptoms they expect? description: Yes. Girls who view menstruation as negative expect more negative symptoms like cramps and mood swings. Girls who view it positively expect more positive expe url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenarcheal-mexican-girls-expectations-concerning-perimenstrual-changes-and-2002/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do girls' attitudes about menstruation affect what symptoms they expect? Survey study, 2002 # Do girls' attitudes about menstruation affect what symptoms they expect? Yes. Girls who view menstruation as negative expect more negative symptoms like cramps and mood swings. Girls who view it positively expect more positive experiences. Girls' expectations appear shaped by cultural attitudes rather than personal experience. Early or limited evidence 750 premenarcheal girls in fifth and sixth grade in Mexico ## What they did Cross-sectional survey of 750 girls in fifth and sixth grade, before their first period. Girls completed a checklist of perimenstrual changes they expected (20 negative and 10 positive) and answered a questionnaire about their attitudes toward menstruation. ## What they found Girls listed mostly negative expected perimenstrual changes. The most common expected changes were discomfort, cramps or abdominal pain, and mood swings. Regarding attitudes, girls scored highest on secrecy, followed by negative feelings, then positive feelings. Girls who saw menstruation as negative and felt it should be kept secret expected more negative changes. Girls who saw menstruation positively expected more positive changes. ## What it means for you Girls' expectations about menstruation are largely shaped by cultural messages that view it as negative or shameful. This may lead them to interpret normal cycle symptoms as serious problems. The messages children hear about menstruation appear to influence how they expect to experience it. The study was done in Mexico, so results may not reflect other cultural backgrounds. 750 Girls surveyed 20 and 10 Negative and positive changes listed ## About the study Original title Premenarcheal Mexican girls' expectations concerning perimenstrual changes and menstrual attitudes Authors Marván ML, Espinosa-Hernández G, Vacio A Journal Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology Year 2002 Study design Survey study Participants 750 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.3109/01674820209042790](https://doi.org/10.3109/01674820209042790) ## Topics [Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Survey study, 2024 What attitudes do women have about menstruation and what affects these attitudes? Guideline, 2016 Can education improve understanding and management of PMS in blind teenage girls? Case-control study, 1991 How common are premenstrual symptoms in teenage girls, and what factors affect them? Survey study, 2026 What factors are linked to PMS in teenagers? Survey study, 2025 What are the most common premenstrual symptoms among adolescent girls in Chandigarh? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗