Why early onset of periods — on the rise among young Indian girls — is detrimental to health

Many young girls in India are getting their periods earlier than expected, which has raised alarms among health experts. 

In an Instagram reel, nutritionist and health coach Ryan Fernando spoke about this issue. He said, “In India the average age for menarche or teenagers getting period is 12 years, but a study from the University of Cincinnati states that about 10 to 15 percent of girls enter puberty at an age of seven or younger.”

 

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According to a 2020 article published in Journal of Preventive Medicine and Holistic Health, studies suggest that “34% of the girls have breast development, pubic hair appearance and onset of first menstruation – menarche before the age of 8 years.”

Primary health risks associated with earlier onset of menstruation

Dr Vinutha G, senior consultant Gynecology and Obstetrics, and director at Athreya Super Speciality Hospital, Bengaluru, informs that the earlier onset of menstruation, known as early menarche, poses several health risks for young girls. Some them are as described below:

Increased Risk of Hormonal Cancers: Women who have menstruated earlier in their life carry higher risk of developing cancer in breasts, ovaries and endometrium. This is often the result as the body is already used to estrogen for a long period of time.

Mental Health Concerns: Early maturation leads to psychological issues such as sadness, feeling down, lack of self-confidence and depression. The social stress of aging faster than your mates can take a toll on young girls.

Metabolic Disorders: Premature menarche is 2-4 times more likely to result in metabolic disorders as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease factor.

Bone Health: Due to hormonal alterations and quick bone loss, peri-menopausal women risk having osteoporosis and breaking their bones in middle age.

Factors contributing to earlier menstruation in India

According to Dr Vinutha, several factors contribute to the trend of earlier menstruation among girls in India. Some of them include not eating well and being too fat; exposure to chemicals like pesticides, plasticisers, and industrial pollutants; genetics can be involved in determining the age of the onset of menarche; sitting around or doing mostly low intensity physical movements. 

Parents and healthcare providers can take several steps to support young girls who experience early menarche. (Source: Freepik)

How can parents and healthcare providers support young girls?

Parents and healthcare providers can take several steps to support young girls who experience early menarche, Dr Vinutha asserts. These are:

Open Communication: Promote frank and transparent dialogues about puberty and menstruation. Enlighten girls on menstruation and help them overcome their fears regarding the physical changes.

Emotional Support: Give them emotional support in a bid to assist them to withstand the psychological pressure of early puberty. Seeking help through counselling or therapy will help those with problems as well.

Healthy Lifestyle: Support an even eating pattern and suitable physical activity. Help them adopt an ideal weight management in order to reduce the risks of some illnesses that come along with early menarche.

Regular Health Checkups: Assign perinatal checkups every regularly and react timely to any kind of health issues. It specifically means monitoring the changes in characteristics of tissue and body chemistry including hormone levels.

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