Koff E, Rierdan J, Stubbs M L
Wellesley Center for Research on Women, Wellesley College, MA 02181.
Women Health. 1990;16(3-4):119-36. doi: 10.1300/J013v16n03_07.
Eighty college women were queried about their knowledge of three aspects of the menstrual cycle (menstruation, ovulation, and menopause). Questions concerned the biology of each event and the physical, emotional, and cognitive changes believed to be associated with them. Reasoning from the biases and limitations in the scientific and popular literature, it was predicted that: (1) women would be relatively uninformed about the menstrual cycle, but more informed about menstruation than about ovulation or menopause, and (2) negatively valued changes would be described more frequently than positively valued ones. Results indicated that basic knowledge of the menstrual cycle, even among well-educated women, is at times incorrect, generally incomplete, and negatively biased. These findings confirm the need for a more comprehensive approach to menstrual education that speaks both to the biology of the menstrual cycle and to norms and variability of associated physical and behavioral changes.
八十名大学女生被问及她们对月经周期三个方面（月经、排卵和更年期）的了解。问题涉及每个阶段的生物学知识以及据信与之相关的身体、情绪和认知变化。基于科学文献和通俗读物中的偏见与局限进行推理，研究人员预测：（1）女性对月经周期的了解相对较少，但对月经的了解多于排卵或更年期，（2）负面评价的变化比正面评价的变化被提及得更频繁。结果表明，即使在受过良好教育的女性中，月经周期的基本知识有时也是错误的，通常不完整，且存在负面偏差。这些发现证实了需要一种更全面的月经教育方法，既要涉及月经周期的生物学知识，也要涉及相关身体和行为变化的规范及变异性。
