Saltus, Richard. (10Oct2000) “Growing up too soon? Ready or not, sexual maturity comes earlier than ever for today’s girls,” The Boston Globe, E1, E5.

OVERVIEW

An elementary school nurse won’t forget the day when an 8-year-old second-grader came to her for help with her first menstruation. “I’ll never forget it,” the nurse is quoted, “It was a tragic thing. She needed help with everything.” (E1) Unfortunately, this incident is becoming part of a larger trend that has led many pediatric doctors to claim early puberty as the current “hot topic.”

While the age at which menstruation begins (about 12-13) hasn’t really changed in 50 years, the indicators of puberty like breast “buds” and pubic hair are appearing earlier than pediatricians believed was considered normal. “I think the entire population [of girls] has been shifted about a year earlier than it was” in the 1960’s, Dr. Paul Kaplowitz, a pediatric endocrinologist, is quoted in the article. Doctors once considered 8-14 years old the normal range for puberty to begin. Kaplowitz now believes the range is 7-13. (E5)

The article goes on to look at suggested factors for this phenomenon. No evidence has substantiated the claim that early puberty comes from hormones in milk, meat and the environment. Some purport that increased nutrition and obesity have contributed to the shift. Whatever the cause, once menstruation hits a young woman, her growth is usually limited to another 2-3 inches. For girls beginning menstruation as young as eight years old who are already small, this can pose a problem. Some doctors are recommending monthly shots of a hormone drug Lupron used to treat prostrate cancer. It delays menstruation and, in one case, allowed a 4 foot 2 inch 10 year old to grow another 4 inches. But, the long-term effects of this drug are still unknown and many doctors prefer to “let nature take its course.”

Coinciding with the biological onset of puberty, of course, is the culture’s increased sexualization of children through mediums like music, fashion and advertising. Both are causes of concern and need to be addressed in tandem.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

1.       Have you had any personal experience yourself or with young girls who have experienced early menstruation and puberty? What were the fears and other emotions surrounding those situations?

2.       What are some ways parents, educators, clinical care givers and youth workers address this issue?

IMPLICATIONS

1.        Early menstruation needs to be taken into account in our work with young women as we considered the biological and social factors contributing to a pull to enter adulthood quickly.