Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Recent research suggests that some women week or are prescribed a hormonal contraceptive (HC) due to menstrual cycle problems such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). However, HC use can result in physical and emotional side effects. This project will investigate women's experiences of symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle or HC use and whether they relate to past reproductive events or current hormone levels. The main research question is: how do women with such problems differ from relatively healthy women? Participants will be asked to fill out an initial online questionnaire about past and present reproductive events (including puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, the postpartum period, and HC use) and their associated physical and psychological symptoms. Information pertaining to demographics, personal and familial health, and medication and drug use will also be collected. Physical biomarkers of hormonal effects, the ratio of the length of the second digit to the fourth digit (2D:4D) and middle-phalangeal hair, will be measured by both the participants and a researcher where possible. Finally, women will complete a daily online survey of symptoms across the menstrual cycle (i.e., for approximately 1 month). Ovulation detection strips will be used to estimate the days and phases of the menstrual cycle and thus hormonal changes. Through the proposed research, Canadian may benefit from an increased understanding of the health-related effects of hormonal changes that take place during reproductive events. The results may have implications for women's sexual, mental, and physical health, including the treatment of menstrual cycle problems and the prescription of HCs. For example, it may contribute to the development of screening procedures for the risk of symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle and side effects associated with HC use.