PURPOSE: to evaluate the association between women's menstrual experience and preferred changes in their menstrual cycles. METHODS: a cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 420 women were interviewed. Participants complied with the following criteria: age (18 to 20, 25 to 34 and 45 to 49 years); schooling (<8 years and >12 years); having menstruated during the three months previous to the study. Subjects were selected in the city of Campinas (SP), in nine private and seven public health services. For data collection, a questionnaire was prepared on the basis of the results of a previous pilot study that consisted of small groups. A data bank was prepared with the information registered in the questionnaires and the analysis was carried out with SAS, version 8.2. For the statistical analysis, the Pearson chi2 test and the Fisher exact test were used to evaluate the association between variables (p<0.05). RESULTS: most subjects preferred greater than once a month intervals between menstruations. There was an association of the typical menstrual intervals experienced by women (p=0.0248) and the degree of interference of menstruation with daily activities (p=0.048) with the preferred interval between menses. However, there was no association between preferred intervals by women and the following characteristics of pain: duration, intensity and use of medication. CONCLUSIONS: the results suggest that women would like intervals longer than one month or to never menstruate.
Menstruation; Menstrual cycle; Dysmenorrhea; Amenorrhea; Interviews; Focal groups
