Help‐seeking for premenstrual symptomatology: A description of women's experiences

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Abstract
The new consumer‐oriented literature on PMS both directly and indirectly suggests that the health care system, and in particular physicians, offer little acknowledgement, understanding or assistance to women seeking care for perimenstrual distress. In fact clinical reports point to disrespectful, dismissing and antagonistic attitudes on the part of health care providers as an important stress for women seeking help. Although some writers claim that physician bias and female stereotypes pervade all aspects of women's health care, others charge that gynecological and reproductive health care is even more prone to these abuses because of the nature of the problems. This pilot study was conducted to explore the experiences of women seeking help for premenstrual symptomatology. The sample consisted of 83 women who attended an evening lecture on premenstrual symptoms sponsored by a local civic group. Single, brief overview questions were used to obtain general information about symptoms, experiences with the health care system and motivations for attending the seminar. All of the participants had previously sought help for their symptoms and the majority had tried several different types of providers. Nurse practitioners were most frequently positively rated, while physicians were evaluated most negatively. The majority of the sample felt they were treated disrespectfully and were not taken seriously. Only one third of women currently in treatment were satisfied with the assistance they were receiving. These data support the informal descriptions of widespread dissatisfaction with current health care provider responses to women seeking assistance with premenstrual symptoms.