Puberty is starting earlier than usual, with the average age of onset of first menstruation in Western countries being 12.2 years. Better nutrition and chemicals in food are suggested as causes, and precocious puberty can have social and medical challenges. Girls who go through puberty later are often active in sports or have mothers with later rates of menarche.
The evidence gathered by scientists clearly suggests that puberty starts earlier than usual. Some of these trials assess the fall of the age of menarche, which is the onset of a girl’s menstruation. Other assessments look at boys’ first ejaculatory erections, or the general onset of puberty symptoms such as breast buds and pubic hair growth.
In the assessment of menarche, the mean age of onset of first menstruation is 12.2 years in most Western countries. In contrast, about 100 years ago, the mean age of puberty assessed from the first menstrual period was 13.9 years. This is clearly a significant difference.
Although a consistently higher percentage of girls begin puberty earlier than boys, evidence suggests that boys may also go through it earlier. About 7% of boys reach sexual maturity by the age of eight. Even 40 years ago, less than 1 percent of boys reached sexual maturity at that age.
A few reasons have been suggested for precocious puberty. Better nutrition is considered to be one of the main causes. More body fat and more body mass mean that the body is physically ready to start this phase. However, excess body fat from less physical activity also often leads to early development.
Some suggest that chemicals in food, such as hormones fed to animals which are then consumed by humans, may lead to the early development of puberty. Additionally, some studies have shown that stress actually equates to early puberty, particularly among girls.
The early age of puberty should not be confused with the medical definition of precocious puberty. This is defined as premature onset of sexual development. Girls who enter puberty before age eight and boys who begin before age nine are thought to have precocious puberty. This condition is more likely to occur among obese girls. However, it could also be genetic. Sometimes premature development, especially in very young children, indicates tumors causing hormone imbalance or production.
Precocious puberty can be extremely challenging, particularly for young girls. Their rapid maturation creates attention among peers and can cause social difficulties. However, early signs, such as breast buds, may not always be followed by an early onset of menarche.
Particularly in girls, those who appear to go through puberty later and have later rates of menarche are often very active in sports, small in body size, or have mothers with later rates of menarche. It is not uncommon for girls who are competitive athletes to start their period after the age of 15 or 16.
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