Menstruation

1
Menstruation

• Body-image
• Self-esteem
• Fat

2
Arrival of Secondary Sex characteristics

• Most white girls show signs by age 10
• Blacks, age 9
• Feelings of sexual attraction arrive at this age
• Earlier entry than in the past by 8, 10 of
  whites some dev, 33 of blacks

3
Menarche

• Occurs at about 12.6 years of age in whites
• About 12.1 in Blacks Latinas
• Somewhat later for Asians
• Related to body wt, body fat

4
Gender differences in puberty

• Ladies firstby about 2 years
• Girls gain 2x as much fat
• Boys gain 2x as much muscle
• Peak growth spurt 12/14
• Both sexes begin to dislike themselvesbut esp.
  white girls

5
Role of attitude in Menstruation

• Negative attitude toward menstruation before
  Menarche, greater discomfort
• Women who are into appearance/body image, more
  negative attitudes and emotions

6
What if youre earlyor late?

• Early menstruation in girls is associated w/
  risky behaviors
• Tend to have lower self-esteem, higher levels of
  depression anxiety
• Poorer body image

7
What about the social environment?

• Overwt kids more likely to be bullied
• Moms are 3x as likely to identify a wt problem in
  girls as boys
• Teasing often occurs by girls brothers and
  father

8
Our Attitudes toward our bodies

• Girls dissatisfied w/ appearance
• Being heavier leads to less satisfaction w/ self
• Obese whites/Latinas experience drop in
  self-esteem (blacks do not)

9
Gender Intensification-adolescence

• Women stop being tomboys
• More pressure to act your sex
• Earlier she matures, the earlier the pressure
  starts

10
Menstruating Stigmatized

• College students viewed a woman drop a tampon or
  a hair clip
• Asked about the woman later, she was rated as
  

11
Sex differences in Attitudes

• Both sexes menstruater compared to average
  woman was more irritable, angry, sad, less
  energized, and less sexy.
• Men (but not women) annoying, unreasonable,
  spacey, less nurturing. Dependable, less
  creative, less intellectually curious and as more
  disagreeable and spiteful.

12
Lesbian body Image

• Less preoccupied w/ wt and dieting
• Higher levels of body self-esteem than straight
  women
• Still more concerned w/ wt than men

13
Menstrual Synchrony

• Women who spend time together, menstruate
  together
• Some evidence that sisters/close friends do even
  when they dont live together
• Pheromones?