Positive perimenstrual changes: toward a new perspective on the menstrual cycle

Abstract

Although many women report negative symptoms, the perimenstrual phase also is associated with enhanced mood and performance among some women. However, research on perimenstrual concomitants reflects a sterotypic negative bias that does not encompass the complexity of the phenomena. This paper tries to redress that balance by documenting the prevalence of positive perimenstrual changes. Overall, about 5-15% of women experience increased excitement, energy, and well-being in the perimenstrual phase. Many women also report increased activity, heightened sexuality, and improved performance on certain types of tasks during the perimenstrual phase. Future research should examine why some women report positive perimenstrual changes, the extent to which individual variations in hormone levels can account for differences in women's perimenstrual experience, and how much women differ in their responsiveness to changing hormone levels. The influence of menstrual-related beliefs and expectations on the changes a woman reports also needs to be clarified.