The first rule is known as the menarche. And although it seems to us just a date, it is indicator of many things about a woman’s life, nutrition and health.
The first period is influenced by a large number of factors. The median age in the Western world is getting lower and has gone from 17, which was about a century ago, to 13 today.
In part, it may be due to better nutrition. However, researchers continue to debate whether this could be due to genetic changes, increased hormones in food, or other environmental factors.
What does the age at which you have your first rule indicate?
An early period means more dates and more behavior problems.
The sooner you get your period and start developing, the more likely you are to start dating now. have sexual relations. Developing makes us begin to feel attracted to potential partners, according to a study carried out in the institutes of the USA.
Unfortunately, girls who experience early puberty also tend to have more behavioral problemssuch as depression or aggressive behaviors, according to the University of Michigan.
The study ensures that these problems are due to a combination of factors: social pressure to be different added to the cocktail of hormones that create more hyperactivity and aggressiveness.
An early period is related to a higher probability of breast cancer
Statistics show that those who had their first period before the age of 12 have a 20% more chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in your life. For each additional year before the average, an additional 5% chance can be added.
According to a study carried out by the University of Oxford, it also indicates that the later you have menopause, the greater the risk. Women who have their period for more years are more likely to suffer from this type of cancer.
Early or late period means higher risk of heart disease
Having the first period before the age of 10, or after the age of 17, according to a study carried out in 2014, is a possible indicator of heart disease in adulthood.
The scientists studied the cases of 1.3 million women to see the impact that the age of menarche could have on heart health. If you are in one of these two groups, you have a 27% greater chance of having or dying from heart causes.
African and American women have earlier periods
The difference is not huge, but the age of menarche varies depending on the origin. In the US, the average age of the first period is 12.88 years for white girls and 12.16 for African-American girls. Statistics place Spanish girls between the two.
A study carried out in 1999 suggested that the reason could be the presence of a certain protein in the body. African-American girls have higher levels of IGF-1, a protein that greatly influences growth rate and maturity.
Childhood affects the age of the first period
The age of our puberty is strongly linked to that of our female relatives. It is very likely that we will have our first period at the same age that our mothers, grandmothers, aunts or sisters did.
According to a series of studies in Psychology Today, lower levels of parental attention, support, or emotional security, such as in the event of divorce, lead to earlier puberty. However, when girls’ lives are more stable, their parents support them and pay attention to them, the age of menarche is usually in the middle.
According to a 2010 study of 80,000 women, early menarche is also associated with low birth weight, exposure to smoking, lack of exercise, and childhood obesity.
It seems that the later you have your first period, the better it is for your health.
