Can men get PMS?

Men suffer from `pre-menstrual symptoms' just as much as women but they assign these symptoms to other origins.

This is the conclusion of a study by Dr Aimee Aubeeluck of the University of Derby. She presented her findings on Friday 10 September 2004, at the British Psychological Society's Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, hosted by Queen Margaret University College and taking place at Pollock Halls in Edinburgh.

Dr Aubeeluck matched 50 men and 50 women for age and then asked them to complete questions relating to symptoms usually attributed to the menstrual cycle - pain, loss of concentration, mood changes, and changes to behaviour over a month.

She was surprised to find that the symptoms were as frequent in men, if not more frequently found in men, though the men didn't attribute them to periods, but to other causes.

Two possible explanations of this finding are suggested. One is that women do not suffer from premenstrual problems at all, its just we suggest that these symptoms are due to PMT. The other is that these symptoms occur in men and women as part of some other, as yet unknown, condition.

Dr Aubeeluck said: "This study is very exciting as it not only raises issues in terms of health implications for women who find themselves stereotyped as having PMS but also for men who may be suffering from cyclical changes that are left undiagnosed or untreated due to a lack of recognition."

Ref: PR676