Wednesday January 2 1:28 PM ET

Women Twice as Likely as Men to Be Constipated

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - About one in four adults say that they have suffered from constipation in the past 3 months, with women nearly twice as likely to report symptoms as men, according to a survey of Canadian adults.

About 40% of more than 1,100 adults surveyed said they had been constipated at some point in the past year and 27% said they had been constipated in the past 3 months. About 13% of those people experienced constipation as a side effect of medication or a medical condition, according to the report in a recent issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Thirty-four percent of these adults said they had visited a doctor for their symptoms and about one-third reported using laxatives, the report indicates. When the researchers used a strict definition of constipation--classified as experiencing at least two of six available symptoms--about 15% to 17% of people were considered to have constipation.

Regardless of the definition used, women were twice as likely as men to be constipated, the authors note.

Women, people who recently used medication to treat depression and older individuals were more likely to seek help from a doctor, according to the report.

``Constipation and related healthcare seeking are common in the Canadian population,'' conclude Dr. P. Pare from Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec, and colleagues.

The study was funded by Janssen-Ortho, Canada, a pharmaceutical company.

SOURCE: The American Journal of Gastroenterology 2001;96:3130-3137.

-- Robbie Roto Rooter (at@your.service), January 02, 2002

Answers

No shit!

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), January 02, 2002.

Yes, shit!

-- (full@of.it), January 02, 2002.

"with women nearly twice as likely to report symptoms as men,"

So, is honesty the issue? "REAL MEN" don't get constipated? lol

Or perhaps it's something different in the diet? What do men consume that women don't? Maybe I shouldn't ask that. ; )

-- Pammy (pamela_sue57@hotmail.com), January 02, 2002.

This explains a lot. When they aren't PMS'ing they are constipated, and if they are both at the same time, stay the fuck away! No wonder they are always btiching!

-- (uh-oh@look.out!), January 02, 2002.

wimp

-- (cin@cin.cin), January 02, 2002.

bitch

-- (cin @ always. constipated), January 02, 2002.

heehee!

-- (cin@cin.cin), January 02, 2002.

Speaking of PMS, as we are now doing, how many women with PMS does it take to change a lightbulb?

-- Peter Errington (petere7@starpower.net), January 02, 2002.

None of yer damn business, Peter.

-- hormonal helen (oh@yeah.try.me), January 02, 2002.

Oh hell, Helen, you've heard that one.

-- Peter Errington (petere7@starpower.net), January 02, 2002.

No, Peter. I hadn't. Now bring me some hot tea. I have a headache.

-- hormonal helen rages (elevate@my.feet), January 02, 2002.

Answer: One. Because she will threaten to kill her husband if he doesn't change it?

-- (my@guess.), January 02, 2002.

To "my.guess":

The approved answer, enshrined by usage for at least two years, is:

"None of your fucking business, Buster."

-- Peter Errington (petere7@starpower.net), January 02, 2002.

Hot tea NOW!!!

-- helen grows fangs (now@now.now), January 02, 2002.

How about a body rub, starting with my neck, back, legs, feet...

aaahhhh you see pms is manageable ; )

(i can dream)

-- (cin@cin.cin), January 02, 2002.

How many does it take Peter?

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), January 03, 2002.

Carlos, I think he already answered that.

It is the last line of Peter's last reply (from the point of view of the woman with the PMS, of course).

-- (look@again.), January 03, 2002.

with women nearly twice as likely to report symptoms as men

I noticed that too, women are twice as likely to admit to it. I think some men would rather have their impacted bowels explode than admit to having a problem, they are kinda embarrassed to discuss such things. Oh but watch them strike a match and perform like a blow torch in front of their buddies for a laugh.

I think constipation is men's normal state, seeing as it takes 30 minutes and reading material to get the job done, where as a woman gets the urge, goes in and does her business and is out in less than 5 minutes. Constipation is one of the side effects of being very pregnant, the babe often sticks his foot in the path and blocks the normal flow.I remember stories my older female relatives used to tell about what was said in the time before PMS was finally acknowledged to exist. The Doctor would tell them it had nothing to do with menstruating, all they needed was to go have a healthy dump and they would feel better.

Drinking 3-4 8 ounce glasses of water a day does the job for most healthy people

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), January 03, 2002.