Girls’ Ages at First Period Getting Younger, Particularly Those From Poorer Backgrounds
27 May 2011 - Girls from poorer backgrounds are more likely to start their periods at a younger age, potentially putting them at a higher risk of breast cancer. The research uses data from over 90,000 UK women who are participating in the Breakthrough Generations Study, a collaboration between The Institute of Cancer Research and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Scientists found that the age of menarche has dropped in girls born in the late 1980s and 1990s, with that drop being most steep among girls of low socio-economic status.
This follows several decades when girls’ ages at first period stayed the same. It was previously the case that girls from higher socio-economic status tended to start their periods younger, but the trend has reversed.
Increasing numbers of overweight children, particularly in lower socio-economic groups, could have played a part in this change. This decrease is important because the age at which a girl starts her periods can influence her chances of developing breast cancer later in life.
