Comments on: Shorter, Broader Girls Get Their Periods Earlier — and That’s Not Always a Good Thing

By: Veraswami

Veraswami — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:20:18 +0000

Bull. Me, my mother, and my maternal grandmother all started our periods at 11. We were all tall for our age, and not overweight. None of us experienced any of the problems the study found to be associated with early development. Er- well, I DO drink and party a bit, but I have a 3.5 GPA, so… : ) I think early development is due to genetics and is not necessarily an indicator of any health or behavioral problems.

By: torie

torie — Fri, 22 May 2009 06:08:23 +0000

… “who’s laughing now?”?
like it’s their fault they developed early.

By: copa

copa — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:29:54 +0000

turns out my teenage years suddenly changed and became fucked as I got my period when I was 10 huh, wonder what happened to all those A’s I think I remember getting?

By: Luci

Luci — Thu, 21 May 2009 08:46:18 +0000

come on!
I guy found that people who have their periods early TEND to be more depressed
that doesN’T mean there’s realtionship between depression and early period
maybe there is, but don’t swallow all “research” done before it is well documented
depression is the result of a large sum of social/cultural/personal factors

By: jenn

jenn — Thu, 21 May 2009 05:31:13 +0000

I don’t disagree with the basic tenet here — that girls who get their periods earliest are short and stocky — although, to be fair, when I got my period I was comparatively taller and thinner. But I developed early (and, embarrassed, kept my rather curvy figure hidden), and I became stocky when I developed PCOS in college.

But what’s with this last jab about ‘thick’ girls smoking pot and being delinquents in high school? Like, I get where the study goes wrong — the reality is, overdeveloped young girls are targets of older, truck-driving boys’ sexual deviance and high school peer jealousy — but are you joking? Did you really not have any short girls with big tits in your AP Bio class?

Aaaand what KD said.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:15:03 +0000

I drank and smoked pot in Rob’s parents basement AND took AP Biology!

By: E.

E. — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:02:47 +0000

I was also 11 when I started having my period. Now I’m curvy, 158 cm (5′2″) high. This study freaked me out at first glanze, but then I started laughing and thinking: Hey! Let’s take some “free” items at the shop! I’m a delinquent, it’s in my genes! (roll eyes)

By: KD

KD — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:56:12 +0000

“They drank and smoked pot in Rob’s parents’ basement, while the rest of us prepubescent nerds studied for AP Bio. Who’s laughing now?”

Is this supposed to be a joke or just good, old-fashioned “slut-shaming” crap?

By: RaeRae

RaeRae — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:35:33 +0000

I also have to disagree with the idea that girls who develop earlier turn into deliquents!
I was 11 when I started my periods… And I turned out just fiiiiiiiiiine.

By: wpolochick

wpolochick — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:30:19 +0000

I agree with the previous posters. I am the living definition of a curvy and squat girl, and I will tell you that though getting my period at the age of 11 and having boobs from the 5th grade onward (true story) were traumatizing in themselves, I think health problems are more implicit in early puberty than psychological ones. I call bull.