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JAMA Study: Girls Are Getting Their Periods Earlier, And They’re More Irregular Than Past Generations
Epoch Times ^ | 06/02/2024 | Megan Redshaw

Posted on 06/02/2024 8:37:39 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Young girls are starting their first periods earlier than they have in previous decades—a shift associated with adverse health outcomes later in life.

A new study published on May 29 in JAMA Network Open revealed that the median age at menarche has remained relatively stable at around 12 years, and the proportion of girls starting menstruation before age 11 has significantly increased over time.

Menarche, or the first menstrual period, marks the beginning of the monthly hormonal cycle and reproductive lifespan. Additionally, it signifies the end of female puberty.

Researchers with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Apple Women’s Health Study examined data from more than 71,000 U.S. women born between 1950 and 2005, encompassing various ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. They aimed to determine the age at which these women experienced their first menstrual cycle and how long it took for their cycle to become regular.

The study found that nearly 16 percent of women born between 2000 and 2005 started their menstrual cycles between ages 9 and 11, compared to almost 9 percent of those born between 1950 and 1969. Additionally, researchers observed an increase in the number of women experiencing irregular menstrual cycles for three years or more after menarche.

When stratifying trends by race and ethnicity, participants who were Asian, Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, or of other or multiple races or ethnicities were consistently more likely to experience early menarche than non-Hispanic white participants.

An exploratory analysis of a subset of 9,865 participants estimated that 46 percent of the trend could be attributed to body mass index—a measure of a person’s body fat based on height and weight. The authors noted that obesity is a risk factor for early-onset puberty and that childhood obesity is on the rise in the United States, which could explain the trend toward earlier menarche. However, it’s unknown to what extent changes in early BMI affect the trend. The underlying cause of the remaining 54 percent experiencing early menarche remains unclear.

Menstrual Cycle Considered Vital Sign of Health

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) considers the menstrual cycle to be a vital sign of overall health, and irregularities can indicate underlying health issues, such as hormonal imbalances, thyroid disorders, or other medical conditions. The menstrual cycle also involves the immune system as uterine immune cells undergo substantial changes and facilitate the thickening and thinning of the uterine lining.

According to ACOG, girls typically have their first period between 12 and 13 years of age, but it takes a few years for menstrual cycles to become regular. Until then, adolescents may experience irregular periods as their bodies adjust to new hormonal patterns.

Early Periods May Cause Health Problems

A growing body of evidence, including the current study, links early menarche and a longer time to regularity with an increased risk of health conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis, metabolic conditions, and all-cause mortality.

A 2021 study published in the Annals of Epidemiology found that earlier menarche in girls and a longer time to reach menstrual regularity were associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Girls who started their first period at age 11 or younger were at an increased risk of death from diabetes, breast cancer, and other cancers compared to those who had their first period at 13 years.

A 2021 study in Cancer Research found that early exposure to sex hormones associated with early-onset menstruation is associated with an increased risk of seven cancers in middle-aged women.

A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of 28 studies in PLOS Medicine found that girls who experience earlier menarche have an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in adulthood.

In a meta-analysis of eight prospective studies involving 4,553 subjects with endometrial cancer, researchers found that an earlier age of menarche is associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer. Likewise, a previous study by the same authors found a “statistically significant inverse association” between ovarian cancer and later menarcheal age.

Evidence also suggests early menarche may enhance multiple sclerosis disease activity in children. In a Canadian prospective study, researchers found a 36 percent decrease in the probability of having a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis for each year menarche was delayed, although a delayed-onset menstrual cycle accompanies its adverse health problems.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: children; females; fertility; girls; menstruatoin; why
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1 posted on 06/02/2024 8:37:39 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Really? Eleven is not that unusual. I was 11 and it was 1970. Now nine would be awful young.


2 posted on 06/02/2024 8:41:01 PM PDT by madison10
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To: SeekAndFind

I read a scientific theory that said that girls in unstable situations get their periods earlier. It’s an adaption to the environment that allows her to marry earlier.


3 posted on 06/02/2024 8:43:03 PM PDT by Jonty30 (He hunted a mammoth for me, just because I said I was hungry. He is such a good friend. )
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To: SeekAndFind

Mr. mm and I went to a church where a wonderful, godly man was a PhD in psychology. We were discussing girls going into early puberty once and he said that a lot had to do with early exposure to sexual materials and culture. Some cultures that were sexually *freer* have much earlier onset of puberty in girls.

Seems like that early exposure actually can trigger it physically.

As our culture is becoming more sexualized and kids are being exposed to not only sex, but sexual perversions, it takes it’s toll in many ways and it’s no surprise that girls would be starting puberty earlier.


4 posted on 06/02/2024 8:43:14 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus…)
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To: metmom

Global warming. Why not?


5 posted on 06/02/2024 8:49:11 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: SeekAndFind

I remember well my freshman girlfriend at college (fall ‘69) had problems with irregular periods and her doctor put her on the pill. It really improved her regularity.


6 posted on 06/02/2024 8:57:01 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“When exposing a crime is treated like a crime, you are being ruled by criminals” – Edward Snowden)
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To: SeekAndFind
study found that nearly 16 percent of women born between 2000 and 2005 started their menstrual cycles between ages 9 and 11, compared to almost 9 percent of those born between 1950 and 1969.

Which typically means that such will be ingesting the Pill for about to 30 years, or choose other methods, usually to enable fornication without the natural consequences of it, but that of diseases instead.

7 posted on 06/02/2024 8:59:27 PM PDT by daniel1212 (Turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves damned+destitute sinners on His acct, believe, b baptized+follow HIM)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

It does help that way, but the anti-birth control crowd won’t acknowledge there are legitimate, medical reasons for hormone treatment like that.

Their assumption is that any woman on birth control is on it for sexual license and won’t believe that it can be for medically necessary reasons.


8 posted on 06/02/2024 8:59:45 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus…)
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To: All

Lots of female hormones floating around in water supplies, food supplies, due to both pollution and intent, the last decade or so, and it is only going to get worse.


9 posted on 06/02/2024 9:00:04 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: metmom
I have no scientific evidence just anectdotal but I think the chaos we expose our kids to does force them to mature earlier.....

I see these little girls dress up like tarts and I cringe.....

why can't we let our children have joyful, care free childhoods like most of us had..

10 posted on 06/02/2024 9:06:45 PM PDT by cherry
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To: SeekAndFind

If they’re even biological women to begin with.


11 posted on 06/02/2024 9:07:48 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: cherry

It’s all part of the globalist one world 🗺 government agenda.


12 posted on 06/02/2024 9:09:33 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: SeekAndFind

Climate change.


13 posted on 06/02/2024 9:12:40 PM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
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To: cherry

The only sex ed they need until they show signs of puberty, is *Boys(girls) have cooties*. Stay away.


14 posted on 06/02/2024 9:31:12 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus…)
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To: SeekAndFind

Fat acts like estrogen in the body. For men and women.


15 posted on 06/02/2024 9:36:09 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Lots of reasonable reasons for precocious menarche, however early exposure to soy is the most likely.

Soy isoflavones (according to some sources) mimic the natural estrogens and may cause early maturation in girls.

One suspects that moobs on boys and men might arise from the same soy source. More research needed here.

Soy, very highly GMO, is in more food products than you might suspect. Check labels for sauces, salad dressings, bread products, deserts, ice cream, canned or bottled anything.

16 posted on 06/02/2024 9:39:27 PM PDT by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never...in nothing, great or small...Winston ChurchIill)
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To: Jonty30

Early periods can also be hereditary. My mom had hers at 9 years old, my sister at 11, my daughter and niece at 9.

I was a late bloomer at 13.

All of us were raised in loving, intact households.


17 posted on 06/02/2024 9:45:52 PM PDT by TheWriterTX (🇺🇸✝️🙏🇮🇱)
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To: TheWriterTX

Given a situation, there are averages across the board that are to be expected.

However, the sociologists would notice that unstable homes produced girls that would menstruate at an early age in greater numbers than what would be across a population that comes from good homes.

It’s kind of, when producing cars, the car companies have acturial tables on their vehicles, with a certain percent failing at a given age. Under normal conditions, those acturial tables are pretty accurate. However, if conditions change, like an economic collapse, they will probably see cars fail in greater numbers earlier because people don’t have the money to do maintenance like they once did.

So yes, under good families there is a certain percentage of females that will mensturate earlier or normal or later in life. However, if a family unit becomes unstable, the number of girls that mensturate earlier grows in numbers. Sociologists think it’s an adaption to guarantee the care for a female.

Sexual abuse is not the only trigger for this. From what I understand, a parent remarrying can cause it because the daughter may be, evolutionary wise, considered a competitor for the new male. I’m only posting the link about sexual abuse to show that a bad homelife can cause early menstruation.

And the breakdown of the family may be contribution to this trend.

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2013/11/sex-abuse-triggers-early-puberty-and-its-problems


18 posted on 06/02/2024 10:11:10 PM PDT by Jonty30 (He hunted a mammoth for me, just because I said I was hungry. He is such a good friend. )
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To: SeekAndFind

Fauci and the Democrats had this engineered into the covid vaccines because the Democrat pedos like their pedo in Chief Joe Biden love underage girls.


19 posted on 06/02/2024 11:04:28 PM PDT by cquiggy
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To: Jonty30

I was just thinking a stable home environment could be a factor. May find out soon as the daughter turns 11 in September. IMHO she is a really good kid, parents are always remarking how polite and sweet she is. But not only does she have a stay at home mom, she has a stay at home dad.


20 posted on 06/02/2024 11:06:46 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage? (Drain the Swamp. Build the Wall.)
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