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Current Women`s Health Reviews

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ISSN (Print): 1573-4048
ISSN (Online): 1875-6581

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Research Article

Relationships between Gender Roles and Attitudes Towards Menstruation and Perception of Menstrual Pain in Iranian Women

Author(s): Somayeh Alirezaei, Elham Azmoude * and Najme Mokhtari

Volume 18, Issue 3, 2022

Published on: 11 June, 2021

Article ID: e031121194032 Pages: 5

DOI: 10.2174/1573404817666210612023250

Price: $65

Abstract

Background: Menstruation is a prominent mark of womanhood. It is necessary to explore what factors may develop female attitudes towards this natural phenomenon in different populations.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationships between gender roles and attitudes towards menstruation and perception of menstrual pain among Iranian women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 164 women of reproductive age in Torbat-e Heydariyeh in the east of Iran between September and December 2019. The participants completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ), and Verbal Multidimensional Scoring System (VMSS). Data analysis was then performed in SPSS 16.0.

Results: According to the results, menstruation was perceived as a natural phenomenon more significantly by the androgynous group than by the undifferentiated and masculine groups (p<0.05). It was also perceived as a predictable phenomenon more significantly by the feminine women than by the other gender role groups (p<0.05). Furthermore, the gender role groups had no significant differences in the prevalence and severity of menstrual pain (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Androgynous women considered menstruation a natural phenomenon more often. Psychological interventions should focus on the correction of attitudes towards menstruation, especially in women with femininity, masculinity, and undifferentiated gender roles.

Keywords: Menstruation, gender identity, attitude, dysmenorrhea, womanhood, gender-role orientation.

Graphical Abstract

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