Girls More Likely to Have Sex, Take Sexual Risks, and Marry Young If They Menstruate Early

Girls More Likely to Have Sex, Take Sexual Risks, and Marry Young If They Menstruate Early

The timing of a girl's first menstruation may affect her first sexual encounter, first pregnancy, and her vulnerability to some sexually transmitted infections, according to a meta-analysis by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. 

 

 

These patterns of sexual and reproductive health outcomes for girls in low- and middle-income countries who menstruated at an early age are similar to what has been observed in high-income countries such as the U.S. Until now, there was little known about associations between early menarche and sexual and reproductive health outcomes in less advanced economies.