Beliefs about and attitudes toward menstruation among young and middle-aged Mexicans

One hundred and twenty-one Mexican college students and 100 middle-aged Mexicans completed a questionnaire concerning beliefs about and attitudes toward menstruation. Younger people, both men and women, viewed menstruation as requiring less secrecy than did the middle-aged people. Younger women were less likely than older women to view menstruation as having proscriptions and prescriptions. However, younger men were more likely than older men to view menstruation as restricting, annoying, and disabling. Regarding gender, young men were more likely than young women to view menstruation as disabling and restricting. However, older men were less likely than older women to view menstruation as annoying and restricting. These findings are discussed in light of sociocultural differences between genders and age cohorts.