Lady Question, Guys Beware of Uteruses

No, it's not. Age at menses is affected by diet, activity levels, heredity, health... a study in '97 showed the average age was 12.88 years for white girls and 12.16 for African American.

13 ist completely normal. I read somewhere, some lucky girls even get it at the age of 17...
It depends from the weight as far as I know, so, in a historic/fantasy mixture story I wrote, the heroine gets her period with 15...she hasn't had much to eat for a long time, so I think that is okay.

Sometimes I wish they never got their period, as then I wouldn't have to put up with the huge mood swings and irritability.

*runs for cover, and gets out his fire extinguisher for the inevitable flaming to come, hopes his girlfriend doesn't see this*

I believe I was 14-15 when I got mine. Can I give it back?

Got mine at 13, finished at 52, thank goodness.

rosemerry said:

I believe I was 14-15 when I got mine. Can I give it back?

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Ditto?

I started my P when I was in the 7th grade, I was 12. This I hear is the common and typical age for girls. I'd actually say 13 was a tad later than "normal".

I got mine at 14.

I believe anything up to the age of 16 is considered normal. I was 12. It sucked. It still kind of sucks. Though it does give me an excuse once a month to flee the fam and go take a nap - so there are some advantages.

Girls are getting it younger and younger these days. Most likely due to changes in diet. Overweight girls tend to get it much earlier, and skinny girls much later, but of course there are many other factors involved.

My girlfriend was a competitive ice skater in high school, so she was always underweight. Thus she didn't get hers until 15 or so. Almost 16, I think, which is quite late.

I'd say 13 is a bit late these days, but it's still pretty normal. Certainly nothing to blink at in a fantasy. If it's important that it's a tad late, have other characters mention it, otherwise people will probably assume 13 is "average" in your fantasy's world.

2 of my daughters started at 12 and one on her 13th b-day (happy birthday to her!).
I was 16, and so was my mother. (was I ever worried, LOL)

Dommo said:

Sometimes I wish they never got their period, as then I wouldn't have to put up with the huge mood swings and irritability.

*runs for cover, and gets out his fire extinguisher for the inevitable flaming to come, hopes his girlfriend doesn't see this*

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Trust me, a great many of us wish we'd never gotten ours, either. Ever. And if it's any consolation at all, the mood swings and irritability aren't any fun for us... then you can add in the cramps, bloating, mess, et al. You guys just have to put up with us... WE have to actually hurt and bleed for about a week a month for about forty years. When you add it up, that's about 9 YEARS of bleeding.

Ol' Fashioned Girl said:

Trust me, a great many of us wish we'd never gotten ours, either. Ever. And if it's any consolation at all, the mood swings and irritability aren't any fun for us... then you can add in the cramps, bloating, mess, et al. You guys just have to put up with us... WE have to actually hurt and bleed for about a week a month for about forty years. When you add it up, that's about 9 YEARS of bleeding.

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If I had a nickel for every time me or a friend suddenly realized we were PMS-ing and THAT'S why we want to rip everyone's head off...

melaniehoo said:

If I had a nickel for every time me or a friend suddenly realized we were PMS-ing and THAT'S why we want to rip everyone's head off...

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If I had a nickel for every time my head was ripped off...

Haggis said:

If I had a nickel for every time my head was ripped off...

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We don't mean to, I swear.

I got mine at 14 going on 15, and still have it at 53! Lucky me!

I understand it has to do with heredity, a bit. If your mom started eariler, you're more likely to start early. I had my first period just before I turned 11, and my oldest started hers around the same age.

I got mine at 14 -- and when I turned 43, it just stopped.

Like someone flicked off the switch.

Weird things, our bodies ...

Individuals mature at different rates. Periods come to some sooner and some later. I was twelve. My younger sister a bit older. My daugher was thirteen. I knew a girl who started at ten and another who started at 15. Unless the young lady in question is 15 or older, starting her period isn't a serious problem. If you have questions about whether or not the young woman should have started her cycle or not, ask your doctor. But for now, not to worry.

Pediatricians don't think it's anything to take a look at until age 15 or 16, so nobody is going to raise an eyebrow at your 13-year-old protag.

I say go for it, DonnaDuck. I think there's enough variance in real-life to warrant your choice.

What irks me is (not to stray from the thread's main point here) men assume we use our periods and moods as an excuse, when the hormones are something we have no control over! Misterwrites is just now, after 11 years and two kids together, kinda, partially starting to grasp it. *huff*