PREMENSTRUAL TENSION AMONG HYSTERECTOMIZED WOMEN

What is the prevalence of premenstrual tension (PMT) among women who h ave no uterus? Three hundred and seventeen hysterectomized women aged 28-45 years, were asked to describe their health before and after surg ery Most of the women (88%) felt that their general health improved po stoperatively. There was a significant reduction in the percentage of women reporting moderate to revere PMT in all or almost all cycles: pr e- versus post-hysterectomy, 56.1 versus 18.9; p<0.001. Of the 178 wom en who considered PMT to have been a regular feature of their prehyste rectomy menstrual cycles, 73% either lost their symptoms after surgery or felt that they were now minimal. It is concluded that the prevalen ce of PMT among hysterectomized women is low compared with that among women who have a uterus.