Although the validity of a prevalent cyclical syndrome among women is questionable, commercial exploitation causes many women to accept the construct as fact. The issue is not one of health alone; it is a political issue of substantial magnitude. Without ignoring or denying women's negative premenstrual conditions, social workers can resist-and help other women resist-the "medicalization" of the premenstruum. The intent of this article is to open up discussion of the theoretical and practical issues that social workers confront in intervening with women who have various premenstrual conditions.
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