Understanding and attitudes of Brazilian men with regard to premenstrual syndrome.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the understanding and attitudes of Brazilian men regarding premenstrual syndrome (PMS). METHODS: In a survey-based study between September 2007 and April 2008, information was collected from men aged 18-40 years who were attending public healthcare services or were university and faculty staff at 5 cities in different geographic regions of Brazil and the Federal District. RESULTS: In total, 527 men were interviewed. Of these, 86.3% had heard of PMS, and 34.3% reported that it is a natural part of the menstrual cycle. The most commonly reported characteristics of PMS were emotional symptoms (55.2%), including nervousness or anxiety; irritability, anger, or aggressiveness; and a greater tendency to start arguments and fights. A significant relationship was found between men who had heard of PMS and being aged 20-35 years, having a university degree, being white, and belonging to a higher socioeconomic stratum (P<0.001). Furthermore, men with a university degree were more likely to know that PMS symptoms occur before menses (P<0.004). CONCLUSION: Many of the men interviewed were knowledgeable about PMS symptoms; however, this awareness was more common among men of higher socioeconomic strata with more years of schooling.