NEW YORK CITY - Latina and Black girls in the U.S., particularly those in low-income households, are experiencing their first periods earlier than the average girl of other races and ethnicities, a new study by Apple Women's Health Study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reveals.
The study, titled "Menarche and Time to Cycle Regularity Among Individuals Born Between 1950 and 2005 in the U.S.," looked at more than 71,000 women born between that time period— with around 7% of respondents identifying as Hispanic or Latinas. The researchers found that, as time progressed, women in this group experienced their first period earlier.
This report is the first of its kind to analyze first periods in the context of race and social status, as well as discuss period regularities, Noticias Telemundo reports.
According to the data, younger generations are experiencing their first periods, also known as menarche, at the age of 12 on average. However, the study gives the range of 8 and 13 years of age as the most common years when puberty starts for girls.
But, for Hispanic and Black girls, this is not always the case. In fact, some Black girls are going through puberty as young as 5 years old, while some Latinas are experiencing menarche at 6 years old.
"This is important because early menarche and irregular periods may point to physical and psychological problems later in life, and these trends may contribute to increased adverse outcomes and disparities," said Zifan Wang, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow.
In fact, early menarche has been linked to cardiovascular problems and cancer, and entering puberty early has been linked to depression and anxiety. This can also increase the chances of developing eating disorders and even delay children's growth, Noticias Telemundo reports.
Similarly, early menarche can lead to young girls being mistakenly treated as older and inappropriately sexualized by society.
The study also highlights that precocious puberty remains rare, affecting fewer than 1% of the U.S. population, according to the National Institute of Health.
Similarly, it remains unclear why girls of color experience this phenomenon more commonly. But possible causes include diet, obesity, genetics, socioeconomic states and potential exposure to certain chemicals, NBC News reports.
"Early puberty is associated with adverse health outcomes over the life course, and Hispanic and Black girls experience puberty earlier than girls of other racial or ethnic backgrounds," according to another study published in 2022 that notes that "the racial, economic, and housing privileges may contribute to these disparities" by exposing young girls to mechanisms like "stress, obesity or endocrine disruptors" underlying early puberty.
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