Document Type

Other

Publication Date

6-1-2024

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which is often called autism, can make it hard for people to communicate and interact with others and can cause repetitive behaviors and interests1. Girls, women, and other people who were assigned female at birth are commonly misdiagnosed, not diagnosed, or may be diagnosed later in life with autism because healthcare providers don’t know enough about how they show symptoms or how they “mask”, or hide their differences2 3 4 5. Because of this, many autistic people’s needs are unmet and unexamined.

One important need that isn't always met for autistic people who have periods, also known as menstruators, is getting information and advice on how to deal with the unique challenges they may face around their periods. Recent research shows that menstruation can be harder for autistic people, who show high levels of sensory sensitivity, behavior dysregulation, bleeding issues, pain, and difficulty managing period care6 7 8. For example, one study found that while non- autistic menstruators usually figure out how to manage their periods within a year, autistic menstruators often take four to five years9. Understanding these differences is important so autistic menstruators can be better prepared for their periods and caregivers, healthcare providers, and even companies that make period products can find better ways to support autistic people.

This research guide provides many resources from the UNM Center for Development and Disability Library and other places. These resources can help you learn about these issues and find ways to deal with the challenges that come with menstruation for autistic people.

Comments

1 American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Autism Spectrum Disorder. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/autism-spectrum-disorder

2 Driver, B., & Chester, V. (2021). The presentation, recognition and diagnosis of autism in women and girls. Advances in Autism, 7(3), 194–207. https://doi.org/10.1108/AIA-12-2019-0050

3 Dworzynski, K., Ronald, A., Bolton, P., & Happe, F. (2012). How different are girls and boys above and below the diagnostic threshold for autism spectrum disorders? Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(8), 788–797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2012.05.018

4 Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., Allison, C., Smith, P., Baron-Cohen, S., Lai, M.-C., & Mandy, W. (2017). “Putting on my best normal”: Social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2519–2534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5

5 Zener, D. (2019). Journey to diagnosis for women with autism. Advances in Autism, 5(1), 2–13

6 Burke, L. M., Kalpakjian, C. Z., Smith, Y. R., & Quint, E. H. (2010). Gynecological issues of adolescents with Down syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy. Journal of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology, 23(1), 11–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2009.04.005

7 Steward, R., Crane, L., Roy, E. M., Remington, A., & Pellicano, E. (2018). “Life is much more difficult to manage during periods”: Autistic experiences of menstruation. Journal of Autism And Developmental Disorders, 48(12), 4297–4292. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10803-018-3664-0

8 Toy, H., Herguner, A., Simsek, S., & Herguner, S. (2016). Autistic traits in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A case-control study. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 12, 2319–2325. https://doi.org/10.2147%2FNDT.S114439

9 Jones, S., & Datta, S. (2022). How people on the autism spectrum experience andmanage their periods. Intimina. https://www.intimina.com/blog/wp- content/uploads/2022/03/Intimina-Autism-Report-V1f.pdf

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