PREFERENCES REGARDING TREATMENTS FOR PERIOD PROBLEMS - RELATIONSHIP TO MENSTRUAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC-FACTORS

Beliefs about periods and hysterectomy and preferences regarding treat ment for period problems were assessed in 362 women - patients referre d for menorrhagia, premenstrual syndrome, or dysmenorrhea (n = 99,102 and 56 respectively), and a control sample (n = 105). Overall, women w ere predominantly in favor of a treatment which normalized periods (89 %) and which coincidentally provided reversible contraceptive effect ( 74%), while they marginally preferred a one-off operation to tablets. Preferences with regard to contraceptive effect of treatment, effect o n periods and hypothetical treatment option were most strongly related to reproductive status (p < 0.00002), in that nulliparous or unsteril ized women were least likely to rate as acceptable a treatment that af fected their periods or fertility. The women's feelings about their pe riods and their evaluation of the utilitarian consequences of hysterec tomy were most strongly related to their report of menstrual problem(s ), with the potential benefits of an end to periods being most often a ffirmed by women reporting 'severe' menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea or multi ple period problems. In contrast, women's evaluation of the reproducti ve consequences of hysterectomy were most strongly related to reproduc tive status, with nulliparous women and unsterilized parous women find ing them least acceptable. Feelings about periods did not predict inte ntions with respect to periods, or treatment preferences, and in this regard the usefulness of menstrual attitudes is questioned.