Life
Black women are less likely than caucasian women to experience severe PMS
Now new research is revealing that African-American women appear to be less susceptible to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) as well as to premenstrual symptoms overall, even though women who experience sex- and race-based discrimination are more likely to have PMDD.
PMDD causes women severe suffering each month, with symptoms that can mimic depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders, not to mention the physical symptoms typical of PMS such as bloating, cramps, and aches and pains.
The current study was published in Psychological Medicine earlier this year, and compared the premenstrual experience of over 1600 black women (including Afro-Caribbean) and over 900 white women (including Latinas). Black women’s risk of PMDD in this population was less than 50% that of Caucasian women, and that they also were less likely to have premenstrual symptoms overall.
