 When Will I Get My First Period?
By Karen Sarpolis, M.D., Medical Director,
Estronaut.com
Physical Signs That Precede First Menstruation
While girls vary in the ages that they are when they start their periods
and when the other signs of puberty occur, the order is fairly consistent. The two things that are most closely
tied to the age when a girl starts her periods, that she can readily assess herself are: first real bra and armpit
hair. A "real" bra means one with a cup size attached to it, as opposed to small, medium, large distinctions.
Armpit hair is self-explanatory. Any amount will do. At this point, a girl will probably start her periods within
3-6 months, if she hasn't already.
It also occurs right after the growth spurt of adolescence. So, if a girl
grew, grew, grew, last year and has slowed down (no more than 2.5 inches a year) then periods are right around
the corner.
Average Ages And Average Time Between Stages
Another way to estimate is to remember when it all started. The very first sign is called breast budding. Budding
simply means the nipple elevates a bit. It does not mean the girl has development that resembles a breast. This
is later. To remember when this is, a girl should think of when the very, very first time was that she noticed
anything different about her chest. In some girls, pubic hair is first, or at least the first thing she remembers.
Again, any amount will do. It will take an average of 4 1/2 years from this point, with a range of 1 1/2 to 6 years).
Take this as the starting point or adolescence. Here is the sequence and time frame of events for an average girl.
The girl will also begin her growth spurt about this time. She will notice pubic hair about 6 months later. About
6 months after that (a total of one year after budding) she will be in her peak growth spurt, growing faster that
she ever has. She will probably get her first training bra at this time. About a year after all this (a total of
two years after budding), she will get a real bra and armpit hair. First period will come about 4 months before
or after these events.
Your actual mileage may vary. So, the chart below gives the events and their ranges. The average age for periods
in the U.S. is 12.16 for black girls and 12.88 for whites. By age 11, 28% of black girls and 13.5% of whites menstruate.
By age 12, 62% of blacks, and 35% of whites.
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When To Go To The Doctor
Some Medical Terms
A girl's first menstruation is called menarche. This is pronounced MEN-arc or MEN-arc-y. When a girl passes certain
milestones in her development, but does not start having periods, this is called Primary Amenorrhea. This is pronounced
A-men-or-rea or Ah-men-or-rea. The word primary is the part that means the girl has never had a period. The amenorrhea
part means lack (a is Latin for none) of periods (menorrhea is Latin for "monthly flow"). This is to
distinguish it from Secondary Amenorrhea, which is when a woman has had periods and then stops.
The Standards For Going To The Doctor
These standards were developed long ago. Meanwhile the average age of puberty and menarche has dropped. So, Estronaut's
opinion is that checking with a doctor a year or so earlier is not a bad idea. Also, girls of African descent mature
sooner than Europeans, by about a year. So, these girls should substract another year. (We have not been able to
find averages for other races.)
On age alone: Age 15 1/2 to 16 1/2 for whites, age 14 1/2 to 15 1/2 for blacks.
If no breast or hair development: Age 13 to 14 for whites, age 12 to 13 for blacks.
If there is breast development or hair (pubic or armpit)two years after either of these started.
Copyright © 1999
Karen Sarpolis, M.D., Medical Director
Estronaut.com
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