Is it true that nowadays girls are having their period younger than before, like around 8 to 10 years old? Is there any data supporting that? And if that is true, what is the reason behind it, and how to be prepared if you are the parent and the girl in case that happens?
—Mom-and-Dad-to-be of a girl
Great question.
Over the past several decades, some parts of puberty have started to happen at younger ages. This includes breast growth and penis and testicle growth. These have moved an average of a couple of years back. Periods have also moved, but less. The most recent study on this —published in May — found the average age of a first period has moved from 12.5 years for women born in the 1950s to 11.9 years for the cohort born from 2000 to 2005. There is variation in these ages — kids can start their period as young as 8, but it’s not common.
Getty
There are various things that are associated with earlier periods, including weight, and there is a genetic component —there is a correlation between a mom’s age of her first period and her daughter’s.
Regardless of the timing, here is my best advice for how to be prepared for puberty. Read the book This Is So Awkward by Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett. Subscribe to the ParentData podcast and listen to an interview with this awesome team. We talked about ages of periods, body hair, and all of the other things you want to be ready for.
Community Guidelines
Log in