Recollections of menarche, current menstrual attitudes, and perimenstrual symptoms

By menarche, girls are likely to have been influenced not only by cultural stereotypes about menstruation, but also by information acquired through significant others. Their own expectations about menstruation are likely to influence their reports of menarcheal experience. Moreover, some suggest that menarcheal experiences are likely to influence subsequent attitudes toward menstruation, and that these expectations may, in turn, influence perceptions of menstrual symptoms through psychophysiologic mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between characteristics of women's menarche, their adult attitudes toward menstruation, and current experiences of perimenstrual symptoms. We selected 179 nonpregnant menstruating women between the ages of 18 and 35 from 5 lower to upper middle income neighborhoods. We found that negative recollections of their first menstruation had little effect on current menstrual attitudes. Moreover, positive recollections of menarche were associated with premenstrual and menstrual negative affect and impaired performance, and not in the expected direction. Current menstrual attitudes were more strongly associated with women's current menstrual symptoms. These results do not support the theory that menarcheal experiences have profound effects on subsequent menstrual attitudes and symptoms.