How early can this stage start in a girl. Also did this proses start early in ancient times or does it start early in modern times. Also does the climate play any role, and diet? Please provide references. No partisan citations please. peer-reviewed scientific citations will do.
I've read that both menarche and menopause have been delayed slightly in modern times in the First World. I won't get into the debate about what exactly constitutes the start of menopause but whichever symptom you choose is said to begin about five years later in 21st century America and Western Europe than it did about a century ago. From what I can gather menarche used to start between the twelfth and thirteenth birthday for most girls but in the latter half of the last century it was about six months later. But now I understand that it is drifting back the other way again. Perhaps this is triggered by the sexual experimentation that now starts at a much younger age than in my day. In the 1950s intercourse between high school students was not unknown but it was rather uncommon. Now seventh-graders are doing it. You'll probably get much better information if you wait for a woman to post here.
That's an old chart from the 1970s. I'd be interested in seeing if it's changed. The last time I heard of a girl getting her first period at age 15 was thirty years ago, and she was a track star, which is known to delay it.
************* M*W: Well, as a woman who has experienced both milestones naturally, I am the resident expert on this subject. I was 11 years and 2 months old when I reached menarche, and 50 years and 6 months when I reached menopause. I had 4 pregnancies and still have 4 living children (1 still not gainfully employed). Girls tend to reach menarche later in colder countries and earlier in the hotter climates. I think it's just a matter of not wanting to take one's clothes off in the colder zones. Sexual activity does "ignite" puberty in both genders. Human reproduction is an interesting thing. Unlike other mammals, just because we have reached menarche doesn't mean we are emotionally or mentally competent to bear offspring. There is an old wive's tale that the more children one has, the earlier menopause will come. I believe that to be true. Children have the gift of aging one's female parent. Yet, in females who have never been pregnant (nuns, for example), menopause lingers later into life. (Who needs that, especially nuns?) The downside to not having sex has a higher incidence of cervical and uterine cancer. Aside from all the sexually transmitted diseases out there, women who have borne children at an earlier age have significantly less incidence of cervical and uterine cancer. Familial history, however, plays the devil's advocate role in this factor. I cannot offer specific references right now, but FYI, prostate cancer is more rare in colder countries such as Japan. We think it may be the fish and rice diet that does the job. In colder climates, women still give birth later in life. In hotter climates, girls give birth earlier. It's not rocket science. Menarche stirs sexual feelings. Sexual feelings stir sexual activity. Sexual activity results in pregnancy. ~ Medicine*Woman
