A concerning new study conducted by Dr. Shruthi Mahalingaiah of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has supported the claim that American girls are getting their periods earlier in life. The May 31 study report suggested that this change could potentially harm their long-term health.
In an interview with PBS, Mahalingaiah explained that more girls are getting their first periods earlier in life than the generations that came before them and are also experiencing longer and more frequent irregular menstrual cycles. The study’s senior author said that back in 1950 to 1969, girls got their first period on average at 12.5.
However, “between 2000 and 2005, that’s down to 11.9 years old. [Additionally] the percentage of girls getting their period before the age of 11 almost doubled from about 8.5 to 15.5, and the percentage of girls getting their period before the age of 9 more than doubled.”
The study, conducted through methods of self-reporting, had over 70,000 women participate. The results spell a concerning trend due to the negative health effects associated with earlier periods. Mahalingaiah said, “For those with very early age at the first period or menarche and persistently irregular periods, those risks include risk of cardiovascular disease, infertility or fertility problems, mood disorders, and cancers, to name a few.”
There are a myriad of factors that could be causing the age regression, some of which are completely environmental. Mahalingaiah cited hormone-disrupting chemicals, air pollutants, heavy metals, and “exposures to stress and childhood trauma” as risk factors.
If parents and caregivers begin to notice early signs of puberty, doctors suggest bringing your child to the pediatrician for an evaluation as early as possible.
“And then, in terms of what you can do to promote health and wellness around the menstrual cycle, include a diet of whole foods. It’s very hard in today’s modern world to have a diet of no ultra-processed foods, but try to limit processed foods and fast foods as much as possible and bring in those leafy green vegetables, fruits are really important,” Mahalingaiah said.
Ironically, Black girls are more likely to be affected by the alarming trend. The study also reported that Black girls are more likely to experience menarche– a girl’s first menstrual cycle– at an earlier age. Some Black girls had their first periods at age five.
“The racial disparities in puberty in general are well documented. Though children across races are beginning puberty at younger ages, research has shown that Black girls are more than twice as likely as white girls to start puberty early. Today, puberty begins between ages 8 and 13, on average, but some Black girls are seeing the onset as early as five years old. This is called precocious puberty, which is rare and affects 1% or less of the country’s population,” the article titled Neighborhood Racial and Economic Privilege and Timing of Pubertal Onset in Girls noted.
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