Menstruation & Periods: A Guide for Girls & Their Parents

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Menstruation in Girls & Girls Getting Their First Period
Few things are more monumental in a girl’s life than getting her first period. It can be a shock, especially if they weren’t expecting it or it strikes at an inopportune time. This page will answer some common questions about menstruation in girls.

When do girls get their first period?

There’s usually a gap of at least one or two years between when girls first start to show signs of puberty (i.e., breast buds & pubic hair) and when they get their first period. So this will depend a lot on when a girl first begins undergoing the changes of puberty. This gap between the start of puberty and a girl’s first menstruation is usually (though not always) longer in girls who begin puberty early.

Most girls experience their first menarche at age 13, but it can be as early as 9 or as late as 17) Van De Graaff, 2000) In girls who are very physically active, the average age of menarche is significantly later—around age 15. This appears to be related to body fat ratios, since a minimum percentage of body fat is needed to carry a pregnancy, and thus girls who are more physically active hit this milestone at a later age. So a girl’s first period can vary wildly, from as young as 8 or 9 to as late as 15 or 16.

Talking to girls about their period

Here are some things girls should know about menstruation:

Menstrual problems & concerns in girls
A 2018 survey of 738 female college students found that 91% reported at least 1 menstrual problem; some got their periods irregularly or not at all, whereas others experienced excessive bleeding and pain. (Sole-Smith, 2019) As Kent Van De Graaff writes, “Abnormal menstruations are among the most common disorders of the female reproductive system.” (2000, p. 729) Approximately 25% of women and post-puberty girls struggle with severe menstrual pain; they may be at increased risk for other chronic pain conditions. (Sole-Smith, 2019)

Girls need to know that there’s variability in menstrual cycles
One of the biggest myths about menstruation is that all girls should have a 28-day cycle, and that any variation from this could spell something wrong. But in truth a female’s menstrual cycle can vary quite a bit from one girl to another. According to a study in NPS Digital Medicine, only 13% of women have a precise 4-week cycle; 9% have a cycle shorter than 25 days; 65% have a cycle that ranges between 25 and 30 days; and 19% have a 31-35 day cycle. The actual cycle normality is between 24 and 38 days; the 28 day number comes just as an average number that was taken as a marker. You only need to worry if it falls outside 24 to 38, or if it’s a week shorter or longer from the last one. (Weiss, 2020)

Yet even within these guidelines there can be variability. Roughly a third of females get their period up to 2 weeks early or late at least once a year. (Sole-Smith, 2019) A female’s cycle can be altered by things like diet, physical activity or psychological stress. “It is not uncommon, for example, for young women who are in the process of making major changes or adjustments in their lives to miss menstrual periods,” writes Kent Van De Graaff (2000, p. 728). It’s common for athletes to experience irregularities during periods of intense training, and anorexics or bulimics often lose their period once their body weight drops below a certain threshold. Sickness, fatigue, and poor nutrition can all play a role in irregular periods.

Start young
Ideally, it’s best if parents talk about these things with their daughter from very early on. “When you teach young kids about their periods in a way that’s joyful, it’s not so scary and mysterious anymore,” says Chella Quint. “I think if Sesame Street did a song about periods, no one would care about them when they grow up.” (Savini, 2018)

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