Attitudes toward menstrual suppression and conformity to feminine norms in young and middle-aged Mexican women

Abstract

Seventy seven college students and 66 middle-aged Mexican women completed an adapted questionnaire of attitudes toward menstrual suppression and the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory. Participants showed a great interest in menstrual suppression, but few were familiar with this issue. Young women would like to have longer menstrual cycles than monthly and were more supportive of menstrual suppression than middle-aged women. Women who would prefer to have longer menstrual cycles showed less conformity to feminine norms. These findings are discussed in light of differences between age cohorts, and the relationship between the studied variables and attitudes toward menstruation.