Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Psychaesthenic syndrome related to leukorrhoea in Indian women

1988; Informa; Volume: 8; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3109/01674828809016782

1743-8942

Santosh K. Chaturvedi,

Sex and Gender in Healthcare

The belief that passage of 'whitish discharge' is associated with bodily complaints of weakness, tiredness, exhaustion, chronic pain is supposed to be widely prevalent among certain groups of women. The present study examines this aspect systematically in women in the reproductive age-group presenting with multiple psychosomatic complaints. Seventy consecutive female patients in the age-group 15–45 years, who reported with presenting complaints of more than 2 psychosomatic symptoms, were included in the study. Patients who had identifiable major physical illnesses, menstrual irregularities or gynaecological illness were excluded. Sociodemographic data were collected on a semi-structured proforma. Diagnosis was ascribed according to DSM-III, axis I. Twenty-eight (40%) patients reported passing white discharge on enquiry. Nine of these cases (32%) attributed their psychosomatic problems to 'white discharge'. Major depression was significantly more often (P < 0.05) diagnosed in patients who reported white discharge. Only 17% of normal healthy women taken as a control group reported passing white discharge, but none attributed any physical or psychological problems to it and none had excessive concern about passing white discharge. This report draws attention to this phenomenon which is related to a similar culture-specific syndrome in Indian men known as the 'Dhat syndrome'.