Health and Sickness: The Meaning of Menstruation and Premenstrual Syndrome in Women's Lives

Abstract

The experience of menstruation was examined through an analysis of women's narratives in order to understand perceptions of menstrual cycle changes. Research within a medical anthropology perspective was conducted with 43 women who volunteered for a study on the knowledge and understanding of menstruation and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from 1997 to 1999. Although most women accepted the PMS label and placed their cyclic changes within the realm of sickness, a small group of women were identified who conceptualized their cyclic changes in an extremely positive way thus reframing their experiences. More positive perceptions of menstrual changes may have a significant impact on the reevaluation of menstrual cycle fluctuations as sickness without devaluing the experiences of those women with severe changes.