Girls in the United States are having their first periods at younger and younger ages The average age of menstruation for girls born 2000 to 2005 is 11.9, compared with 12.5 for girls born 1950 to 1969 Childhood obesity could be contributing to this trend WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- U.
S. girls are getting their periods at younger ages, a new study has found. Girls born between 2000 and 2005 started their periods at an average age of 11.
9 years -- a half year earlier than the average age of 12.5 years for girls born between 1950 and 1969, researchers reported May 29 in the journal JAMA Network Open . The latest generation was also more likely to start menstruation early (15.
5% versus 8.6%) and very early (1.4% versus 0.
6%), results show. Early onset of menstruation “is associated with higher risk of adverse health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer,” said researcher Zifan Wang , a postdoctoral research fellow with the Harvard T.H.
Chan School of Public Health in Boston. The researchers found that all women are experiencing earlier menstruation, but that those who are poor or a racial minority were even more likely to start their periods at a younger age. “To address these health concerns -- which our findings suggest may begin to impact more people, with disproportionate impact on already disadvantaged populations -- we need much more investment in menstrual health research,” Wang said.
For the study, researchers analyzed data on more t.
