New Survey Shows How Mother-Daughter Communication Has Changed Over Time

MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- A new national survey conducted among teen girls and women ages 13 to 44 reveals some telling trends in mother-daughter communication, especially when it comes to talking about their periods. First, mothers of today's teen girls are doing a better job of talking with their teen daughters -- they are more proactive, talking with them earlier and initiating the conversation about menstruation. The survey sponsored by Midol is being released in recognition of Women's Health Week, which kicks off on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, to spark conversation, drive interest and possibly improve the way women talk about their health and menstrual cycles.

Although teen girls ages 13 to 17 seem to have more open communication with their mothers, there is still a lot they don't know. The survey found that this age group is much more likely to say they don't know when asked about a menstrual myth or fact. For example when asked whether it was a myth or a fact that you can't get pregnant during your period, 17 percent said they didn't know.

The survey also found that more than 80 percent of girls are 13 or younger when they have their first menstrual cycle and most (69 percent) learn about menstruation before age 12. More than a quarter surveyed (26 percent) would describe this first conversation as embarrassing and more than a third (31 percent) would say it was uncomfortable for them.

"Mothers and daughters have a special bond that is unique in terms of closeness and communication. We traditionally learn about good health and lifestyle choices from our mothers through sharing personal health stories. This survey confirms that the mother-daughter relationship is significant in terms of our health and well being," said Dr. Carol Livoti, OB-GYN and co-author of Vaginas, An Owners Manual.

    Other key findings include:
    -- Moms are comfortable discussing their own discomfort with their
       daughters.  Among those who are mothers, their daughter is the most
       likely person with whom they talk about menstrual symptoms. Ninety
       percent of mothers say they are comfortable talking about their
       symptoms with their daughters.
    -- Teen girls are more comfortable talking with their mothers about their
       period than any other person including friends and doctors.
    -- Moms and women ages 35 to 44 and daughters/younger women differ in how
       they care for themselves during their period.  Women ages 35 to 44 are
       more likely to have severe symptoms including bloating and fatigue than
       other groups and more likely to say these are bothersome.
    -- However, these women do not seem to have as many coping strategies as
       younger women.  Fourteen percent of women over 35 say they don't talk
       about their symptoms to anyone.  Women age 35 to 44 mostly discuss how
       symptoms are impacting their lives; whereas, younger women and teens
       are more likely to focus on seeking solutions -- sharing advice on
       coping with symptoms and talking about products available for symptom
       relief.
    -- Talking about coping strategies seems linked to finding relief that
       meets women's needs.  Women under 35, particularly 18 to 24 year olds,
       are more likely to say they have found the perfect product/treatment
       for nearly the entire range of menstrual symptoms listed.
    -- However, many women are still looking for better treatments for
       menstrual symptoms.  More than half haven't found the perfect treatment
       for common symptoms, including relief for the most bothersome
       symptom-cramps (52 percent).

"Women have a long tradition of 'suffering' and 'toughing it out' when it comes to certain things, including period pain. I tell the women in my practice that life is too short to go through a few days a month of suffering when safe, effective and readily available relief is out there. It's silly to allow ourselves to be held back," said Dr. Livoti.

Midol is a brand that is dedicated to women's health and unlike ordinary pain relievers, can provide relief from multiple symptoms women may encounter during their menstrual cycle, including cramps, fatigue and bloating.

The 9th annual National Women's Health Week will kick off this Mother's Day and will be celebrated until May 17, 2008. National Women's Health Week empowers women across the country to get healthy by taking action. The nationwide initiative, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health, encourages women to make their health a top priority and take simple steps for a longer, healthier and happier life.

For more information, visit www.midol.com.

About Midol

Since its introduction as an over-the-counter product in 1910, Midol has been used by millions of women as safe, effective relief for symptoms associated with menstrual pain. Currently, Midol is the number one pharmacists' recommended over-the-counter product in the menstrual category. Midol has a full spectrum of maximum strength products including Menstrual Complete, Extended Relief, Cramps & Body Aches and Teen Formula which are tailored for the unique combination of symptoms women may experience during the menstrual cycle including cramps, bloating, fatigue, backache and headache. Always read and follow label instructions.

About Bayer Consumer Care

The Consumer Care Division of Bayer HealthCare LLC, is headquartered in Morristown, N.J. Bayer's Consumer Care Division is among the largest marketers of over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements in the world. Some of the most trusted and recognizable brands in the world today come from the Bayer portfolio of products. These include Bayer(R) Aspirin, ALEVE(R), Alka-Seltzer Plus(R), Bactine(R), RID(R), Phillips'(R) Milk of Magnesia, Midol(R), Alka-Seltzer(R), One-A-Day(R), One-A-Day(R) Prenatal and Flintstones(TM) vitamins.

Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and innovative materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. In North America, Bayer had 2006 net sales of 7.8 billion euros and employed 17,200 at year end. Bayer's three subgroups, Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience and Bayer MaterialScience, improve people's lives through a broad range of essential products that help prevent and treat diseases; protect crops and enhance yields; and advance automobile safety and durability.

About the Survey

This national survey, Period Talk Through the Generations, was conducted by The Segmentation Company, a division of Yankelovich. These results were based on an online survey conducted between April 14 and 18, 2008, among a sample of 1043 women and teen girls between the ages of 13 and 44. For results based on the total sample, the margin of error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. For results based on smaller sub samples, the margin of error is larger.

The Segmentation Company (TSC), a division of Yankelovich, is a full-service custom research division conducting research for business, the media, associations, and government. It specializes in studies conducted for media release as well as in segmentation research, positioning studies, brand equity, and market sizing.

Yankelovich, Inc. (www.yankelovich.com) delivers measurable breakthroughs in marketing productivity for it clients. For more than 30 years, the Yankelovich MONITOR has tracked and forecasted consumer value and lifestyle trends. Yankelovich is headquartered in Chapel Hill, NC.