title: Attitudes of Spanish women toward premenstrual symptoms, premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder: results of a nationwide survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the attitudes of women with premenstrual symptoms in relation to their perception of complaints and request for medical advice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of a representative cohort of 2018 Spanish women aged 15-49 years. Participants were personally interviewed at home and completed the premenstrual symptoms screening tool.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1554 women (73.7%) complained of some of the premenstrual symptoms during the last 12 menstrual cycles. The prevalence of moderate or severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) was 8.9% and the prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) 1.1%. Only 291 (18.7%) women had sought medical advice. The main reason given by 90.6% of symptomatic women for not seeking medical consultation was to consider that symptoms were normal. A total of 175 (60.1%) women received pharmacological treatment (hormonal contraceptives in 95% followed by analgesics in 50% and anti-inflammatory agents in 44%), 20% were not treated because physicians considered that symptoms were not important and would disappear spontaneously, and 12% received only advice to change life style.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women suffering from PMS or PMDD do not usually seek medical advice and among those seeking medical care, in many cases, an adequate response to their demands is not obtained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Santiago Apóstol, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. ilete@hsan.osakidetza.net
authors.forename: Iñaki
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lete
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dueñas
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Doval
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez-Salmeán
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coll
authors.forename: Ezequiel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez-Campos
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arbat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal