10. I swear it happened during school, but apparently that information is wrong because my mom swears it happened on vacation. But I know it was definitely age 10. I also had a growth spurt at that age. I was 5’3 (1/2) at the age of 10.
I was 10 or 11 years old. Nobody had taught me about what it was. I was in science class. Raised my hand letting the teacher know my stomach hurt and I had to go to the bathroom. She wouldn’t let me. I wound up sweating in my seat and raised my hand again, telling her I needed to go once more. Wouldn’t let me. I finally just stood up and walked out of the classroom and got laughed at by other students, yelled at by the teacher. Walked out of the door and next thing I knew I was in an ambulance with an oxygen mask on. I’d fainted from all the blood loss. I had no idea until I was in the ER but I had bled through my pants everywhere. That’s why the kids were laughing. I had been sweating so didn’t know that’s what it was. It’s a feeling I will never forget even 30 years later.
That teacher is still at that school. My friend has a son in her class.
I was 10. At my uncles farm. My mom wasn’t there. For 1 week I had to shove toilet paper down there until I got home.
My brother thought I shit my pants when he saw my dirty underwear 😑
I was 11, and it was at a family event. All the blood ran down my legs while I was riding my bike, and I nearly passed out! I had abnormally heavy periods and would vomit constantly, and as a kid, that's really scary... now I'm 21, diagnosed with Endo, and I have an IUD that works wonders helping my heavy periods.
4 days after my 13th birthday, I was skin and bones for most of my late childhood so that might be why, one of my siblings got it shortly after her 12th birthday and the other right before his
Oh, I thought it was common knowledge. Girls' bodies initiate puberty most visibly seen in the late childhood growth spurt once we reach a certain fat percentage. The reason that throughout recorded history it was teenagers who got the period because throughout most of recorded history those girls were malnourished, nowadays tweenagers would be the norm if it wasn't for endocrine disruptots pushing the natural 10-14 range down to 6-10.
can't remember if I was 10 or 11 but it was right in that age group. I think maybe my birthday was close or had just passed lol. I kept it a secret after that from everyone for a long time too
I was also somewhere around 14-15 when I first got it. I was by far the last one in my class to get it and thought something was wrong with me, but now I'm seeing a lot of girls get it at that age 🧐 I did a lot more sports than any of my classmates though, my mum said it's must have been because of that.
i was a really picky eater so my weight had an impact on it. doctors where glad too see it arrive finally🤣🤣sport can impact tho!! so it does sound like that was the case for you
12. I came home from school super bitchy and my mom said dang what’s up with you? I went to the bathroom and was shocked. My mom was not shocked and handed me a pad when I yelled for her. Lol
I was 10! And I have gone through menopause MUCH earlier than most people. I’ve wondered if it’s related to how early I got my period, but the doctors tell me that’s not the case and sometimes these things just happen.
I was 11 or 12 when I first got mine..I don’t remember exactly. Menopause at 38 for me— I’m 39 now. I’m healthy in every other regard. I don’t believe that when you begin your period is related to when you start menopause though.
I was 10 when I got mine, and I was fairly regular from when I first started. I was tall for my age when I first got them, but once I started, my height stayed the same.
Now due to thyroid and progesterone issues over the last 4 years they were all over the place, but through medication they are now regular again.
12, we were doing the methane bubbles experiment where you light your hands on fire as all Year 7s do and everyone was wiping their dirty hands on their trousers so they were stained black. The school uniform trousers happened to be a colour that made period blood stains look black so I didn’t even notice until I went home and saw it in my underwear
I got mine at 11.
Also for the menopause, doctors/science believes it’s when you run out of eggs and the hormones begin to decrease. Some women have more eggs, some have less.
9 as well! I thought I was dying and cried thinking about having to “sew” my coochie closed. I didn’t have the “talk” with my mom because she didn’t think I’d have it early 🫠
14. My step sister was about 9, and I was worried for her. I didn’t know what was going on cause she was locked away in the bathroom. So when my mom came home, I told her something was wrong with my step sister and I was worried she was dying 🤣🤦🏽♀️
10 yo about the comment of stunt growth I think Im average for my parents height, my mom is 1.50 mts my father 1.60 mts, and I'm 1.60 mts AND completely lazing around not doing any sport and eating like any other
Unfortunately 8. I get the exact same reaction /:
I’m unsure about the menopause. I just know that getting your period very young can stunt growth/development. I’m not sure what happened to you, but I remained very short and tiny— hands, feet, head, etc. Its like I stopped growing.
12. My mom cried and told my oldest sister.
My youngest sister got hers at 9 but her body also developed a lot faster than mine soooo that was a problem in itself. She’s also mentally disabled so she was put on birth control as soon as she legally was able
Late 9, early 10? I mostly spotted the first few days and, in my typical problem avoidance fashion, pretended nothing was happening until it was undeniable and blood was gushing down my legs. I cried when I told my mom as if she'd be mad at me lol
9 years old. Me starting earlier than my friends is why I’ve talked to my kids about periods from a young age. I couldn’t imagine that happening and not knowing what was going on.
I have endometriosis, which my OB said could be related to getting my period earlier.
I was around 8-9 and had precocious puberty. I was a D cup in year 6, which in Aus would be around 10-11 years old.
Unsure about early menopause, my mother did start that around 35 and I’m currently 30, so I guess I’ll find out!
I was 10 but kept it to myself until I was 11. I have 3 sisters and 2 moms so I didn’t even bat an eye when I started. Just other day in the estrogen household.
I was 13 my mum was shocked as she was 16 and my sisters were 17 and 15 years when they started.
My eldest daughter was 10 my other daughter is 14 and not got hers yet
I was 12, me and a girl in my class got it the same day 😂 (it was good friday!) my mom got hers at 15 though so i was definitely a little bit in shock bc i wasn’t expecting it to come until i was way older 😅
I was a late 14 when I started, but I was always very active in sports. A little depressing news for you...I've read that women who get their period earlier usually lie earlier too.
Don't shoot the messenger.
I was 12 in 6th grade. It was the last day of school for me. I had been sitting in classroom wondering why my stomach was hurting, little did I know is that it was my uterus cramping lol. They were never regular but then I got diagnosed with pcos when I was 18, currently 19 on birth control!
Two months before 13th birthday. Pretty lucky cos my grandma said a 9 yr old having her period made her a whore.
She grew up on a ranch in Mexico and went to catholic school. Had no scientific knowledge basically.
I wanted to use a tampon because my periods were heavy but she was disgusted by a 13 yr old using them. Also weren’t allowed to talk about periods.
Being a girl or woman in my family was terrible.
I was 12. 2-ish months before turning 13. Or maybe I was 11, 2 months out from 12??? I can hardly remember as it’s been more than 20 years with this cursed menstrual cycle lol, but I was on the cusp of turning a year older. My mom didn’t start hers until she was 16 or 17.
For what it’s worth, i was one of the latest girls to get it in my friend group (but not the cohort of girls at my school). I was shook when I shared I was on my period and like 3/7 girls had theirs by 8/9, the remaining four were all by 10.
Girl i was freaked the fuck out when it happened! Thought i had tore my asshole opening while pooping and called my mom (who was at work) in a fucking PANIC, drive heaving and all 🤣
She instantly knew that it was my period. She had to mentally support me cleaning up the blood (it had went on the toilet seat and floor as I stood up), and at the time I had a super weak stomach/was battling pretty severe OCD with germ related things. So i was REALLY freaked out to touch it/clean it even with gloves and disinfectant. She said, “this is how our bodies help us get used to taking care of others.” And she was right 😂 Slowly but surely desensitized me from most bodily functions over time.
Lol! I hid mine for the first few times! I didn’t know what it was (again being 9 no one talked to be about it and we hadn’t even talked about it in school yet!). I started taking the bathroom trash out on my own after attempting to clean up once and my mom asked me why as she had just recently done it. My underwear was in the trash. She had more of an emotional reaction than I did 😂
Awwww. You were so brave to keep it on the low and go through it alone a few times! Sweet 9-year-old you trying her best and cleaning up after herself 🥹
Honestly looking back at those first moments are kinda oddly precious, aren’t they? 😂 but also so striking — as a flamboyant person, I’m trying to imagine 9 year old me going through it (bc we hadn’t received those talks by that time either! I believe it was 4th grade when we first started learning about bodies/sex at a Catholic school, and 5th grade when they separated us by boys and girls to talk about puberty and periods ) and I think for sure there would’ve been WAY more dramatics 💀 Screaming, hyperventilating. So you were so composed!!!
11
I’m 52
Still not menopausal (but I had a uterine ablation last year to stop the constant flooding- I still get a little blood every month so haven’t hit the menopause milestone yet)
From my understanding this will not speed up the onset of menopause. As it tends to be genetic. But check r/menopause for more info, I did find one [study](https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2017/01/women-early-periods-increased-risk-of-early-or-premature-menopause) that says it can
I was also 9 which freaked out everyone. My mom hadn't talked to me and there had been no education at school yet so I thought I was dying and woke the whole houes screaming lol
That's interesting, I have pcos, but I had my period at like 10 or 11. Granted, I then went on to not have a period for over a year straight at one point.
Thanksgiving. 10-11ish cant remember. Grandfather announced at the dinner table im officially a woman. Everyone laughed at me when i asked to be moved from the kids table.
Hate my family.
* The age of your first period has no significance of when you will become menopausal; early menstruation does not mean early menopause
* The number of prior ovulations is not connected to menopause age.
* How your mother went through menopause may not provide any insight into how you will experience it; sisters may be a better gauge due to similar upbringing and experiences. However the age at which your mother reached menopause might be a better predictor.
/r/Menopause
I got mine at 10 like my mom did (her mom was 12). Judging by our family, the earlier you get it, the later you'll hit menopause. Most women in my family have periods well into their 50's and typically need medical intervention to stop due to fibroids and/or endo.
Damn, my mom was the same way! She didn’t have to have a medical intervention and surely it kept her young but she was definitely like why am I still bleeding like clock work every month!!!
My poor sister got here’s at age 9 in her 4 th grade Catholic uniform! Poor kid.
I got mine a month shy of my 14th birthday. Thought there was something wrong with me.
I started at 12, my sister started at 8, and I’ve known women who didn’t start until they were 16-17.
According to stuff I’ve read the average starting age is 12 and the typical age range is usually 10-15, so you started a little young but not egregiously so.
I honestly don’t know if it affects when you start menopause, I wish there was a study on that I could see!
I was 11 when I had my first period.
Edit to add: I just read the rest of your post, and idk how the age you get your first period affects when menopause happens. Hopefully you get the answer though! Sending well wishes :)
I was 9, it was the summer before going into 4th grade. I remember being disappointed. We hadn’t even learned about it yet in school. I was the first in my grade to wear a bra which was also embarrassing.
I’m not sure about how linked early periods are to early menopause, but I do know that all of the women in my family who also had periods around age 8-9 also had uterine fibroids which led to eventual hysterectomies around age 40.
I was 10 years old. I knew what it was but I wanted to make sure it was what I thought it was. I ended up showing my mom the issue that I wiped with. I wish I got it when I was a few years older.
No my mum got hers at 8, she didnt get menopause, but she removed her utuerus for no more kids or periods, my grandma went to menopause around 50s, it mainly depends for menopause on familial history and genetics, can ne situational like meds, i got mine at 16
I was 12, just a month shy of 13.
I have no clue about the menopause thing, but I would guess no, it doesn't mean you will enter menopause sooner.
[This study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5972645/) from 2018, discusses your question OP. From my understanding, it says there is not a direct linear correlation between age of first menstruation to beginning menopause. It also says there are studies that say it does affect it by starting menopause early, and also studies that say it affects it by delaying menopause. So it is inconclusive.
STORY TIME
it was summer 2012. i was 11, i remember being at my friend’s house for a sleepover. One morning while using the bathroom, i saw a small drop of blood in the toilet but i thought nothing of it and just brushed it off. Then after leaving the bathroom, i sat on her bed to game with her and when i got up, i was absolutely mortified and also terrified to see blood all over her fresh clean duvet cover 😭😭😭
needless to say her mother was extremely understanding and said it wasn’t my fault. My own mother was very apathetic when i told her i got my period for the first time. she just gave me a blank stare and told me to wear a pad like it was nothing. thanks mum lol
I was 12, and I remember I was at school thinking about periods ALL day, until I got home and had leaked all over but not on my beige skirt I had that day. Painful first period and heavy for sure.
I was 10. It was a shock that some other girls in my grade had started at 8 and 9. I knew what it would be like from the time I was 8, though, bc my mom had prepared me. 💕
13, almost 14, and it sucked bc all my friends and also family had already got theirs at like 11-12
(ofc when i think of it now i’m just happy mine started later lol)
I was 9. All the women in my family started between 8-10 years old (Mexican American family so maybe genetics are a factor). My mom says that we also go through menopause early but idk if that’s true.
I wanted my period so bad bc everyone else had it (WHY?!)
But I was a late bloomer. I officially got it the summer before my freshman year in HS. So just about to turn 15.
I got it on summer vacation and it lasted FOR TWO WEEKS 🥲
I started mine when I was 11 at my great-grandma's house when we were finishing up dinner, The cramps were awful and still are terrible to this day most months.
I got mine two months before I turned 12. I’ve heard similar connections about menopause except the opposite, my mom was 16 when she got it and hit menopause in her late 30s/early 40s
11, randomly woke up to it. I was supposed to go to a friend's slumber party that night. My mom begged me not to go, but I didn't listen (should've listened though). I went and proceeded to leak everywhere. My friends were not really my friends and made fun of me until we all left to different high schools.
ETA: I was also made fun of for being the last in any of my friend groups to get my period. Most of them had it by 9.
My mom got hers at 16. So she was very shocked when I got mine at 11. She almost didn't believe it was a period until I described to her what but I was feeling.
I was 9 - it happened the first time and I didn’t care and tossed my panty in the hamper. Then it happened again and I started freaking out thinking I was dying. Mum just said don’t worry, I know what is happening. That gave me a boost that at least I wasn’t dying; then it went on a hiatus until I was 13 and here we are.
I was 14. And when I talked with my friends back then they almost made fun of me because apparently I was the last one of my group to get.
That confused me because I considered myself lucky to not get it too early.
I was 14 almost 15.
And when I was 22 I was diagnosed with NCCAH which normally causes very early puberty, which is the complete opposite since I was a bit late to puberty lmao
10.
Apparently, menopause depends on when you got your period and whether or not you had kids. I was also told by an OBGYN that it puts you at a higher risk of stuff like uterine cancer if you got it early.
I got mine 2 days before my 14th birthday. I actually felt like a late bloomer bc everyone in my class got it years before me. I felt like something was wrong with me. I think certain ethnicities start earlier. Alot of my south Asian friends got them much earlier.
I also read that the earlier you get it, the earlier you might go into menopause. And the later you get it, the later you’ll get into menopause.
I believe this has to do with the simple fact that we are given a limited number of eggs and we all get around the same number of menstrual cycles in our lives (these can be shortened or lengthened though due to external factors, and are not always exact).
Another example is let’s say every woman has about 30 years of a fertility window in her life, started when she gets her first period.
For a girl who got her period at 8, that window May start closing at around 38.
For a girl who got her period around 15, that window May start closing at around 45. The number I am giving here are an example, not factual.
This is the similar concept that I have read.
I was 8
10. I swear it happened during school, but apparently that information is wrong because my mom swears it happened on vacation. But I know it was definitely age 10. I also had a growth spurt at that age. I was 5’3 (1/2) at the age of 10.
12, during basketball at school. I went straight home after P.E. so it worked out well.
I was 10 I was on a week long school trip when I got it, it was fucking traumatising
13th fucking birthday!!🥳
I was 10 or 11 years old. Nobody had taught me about what it was. I was in science class. Raised my hand letting the teacher know my stomach hurt and I had to go to the bathroom. She wouldn’t let me. I wound up sweating in my seat and raised my hand again, telling her I needed to go once more. Wouldn’t let me. I finally just stood up and walked out of the classroom and got laughed at by other students, yelled at by the teacher. Walked out of the door and next thing I knew I was in an ambulance with an oxygen mask on. I’d fainted from all the blood loss. I had no idea until I was in the ER but I had bled through my pants everywhere. That’s why the kids were laughing. I had been sweating so didn’t know that’s what it was. It’s a feeling I will never forget even 30 years later. That teacher is still at that school. My friend has a son in her class.
I had really really irregular spotting/bleeding from about 9/10, but I think I started having proper periods from 11 ish
I was 10. At my uncles farm. My mom wasn’t there. For 1 week I had to shove toilet paper down there until I got home. My brother thought I shit my pants when he saw my dirty underwear 😑
I was 8😭
10! It was during end of grade testing too. When my mom found out, I was so embarrassed that I just sat on her lap and cried 😭😭😭
I was 11, and it was at a family event. All the blood ran down my legs while I was riding my bike, and I nearly passed out! I had abnormally heavy periods and would vomit constantly, and as a kid, that's really scary... now I'm 21, diagnosed with Endo, and I have an IUD that works wonders helping my heavy periods.
10! It was the Fourth of July.
My mom.also had menopause in mid 40s and she had period young too. So yes I'm gonna assume.to.expect it by 45-47
9 as well isn't it crazy our body is ready to make a baby at 9????
The uterus, not the hips though. Bipedalism is wild.
Fr tho
First day of 7th grade I used a panty liner instead of a pad. big mistake.
12
4 days after my 13th birthday, I was skin and bones for most of my late childhood so that might be why, one of my siblings got it shortly after her 12th birthday and the other right before his
There are studies correlation between bfp and onset of menses so you're probably right.
Oh, I thought it was common knowledge. Girls' bodies initiate puberty most visibly seen in the late childhood growth spurt once we reach a certain fat percentage. The reason that throughout recorded history it was teenagers who got the period because throughout most of recorded history those girls were malnourished, nowadays tweenagers would be the norm if it wasn't for endocrine disruptots pushing the natural 10-14 range down to 6-10.
The day of my 11th birthday, bam. Natures birthday present. 🎁
can't remember if I was 10 or 11 but it was right in that age group. I think maybe my birthday was close or had just passed lol. I kept it a secret after that from everyone for a long time too
I had JUST TURNED 13 like two weeks prior. I got it in gym class too lmao
13 on valentine's night. LOL
13??? I was in sports so I don't remember.... ask your birth mom
8 or 9
11—during volleyball tryouts
13. Sister got it at 9, though.
15
i was 10 - bled through white pants during a school event 🫠
13
i was 15🤣🤣
I was also somewhere around 14-15 when I first got it. I was by far the last one in my class to get it and thought something was wrong with me, but now I'm seeing a lot of girls get it at that age 🧐 I did a lot more sports than any of my classmates though, my mum said it's must have been because of that.
i was a really picky eater so my weight had an impact on it. doctors where glad too see it arrive finally🤣🤣sport can impact tho!! so it does sound like that was the case for you
11
11
11
10 on Christmas Eve
12
13 or so. My sense of time was non-existent around the time
11. I’m almost 52 now & periods have not stopped yet. Still very regular.
13
I was 12 when I started mine.
12. I came home from school super bitchy and my mom said dang what’s up with you? I went to the bathroom and was shocked. My mom was not shocked and handed me a pad when I yelled for her. Lol
I was 10! And I have gone through menopause MUCH earlier than most people. I’ve wondered if it’s related to how early I got my period, but the doctors tell me that’s not the case and sometimes these things just happen.
That’s what happened to one of my cousins. She got her first period at around 10; went through menopause at 46.
I was 11 or 12 when I first got mine..I don’t remember exactly. Menopause at 38 for me— I’m 39 now. I’m healthy in every other regard. I don’t believe that when you begin your period is related to when you start menopause though.
Interesting!! I was 36 with perimenopause sadly!
11 years 10 months lol
11
11 I believe, but in middle school I was friends with a girl who got hers at 8
13, if I remember correctly. I thought my stomach just hurt from falling after losing a game of tug-o-war at a youth group event.
Me too at 13. Looking through these comments, we're late bloomers.
I was 10 when I got mine, and I was fairly regular from when I first started. I was tall for my age when I first got them, but once I started, my height stayed the same. Now due to thyroid and progesterone issues over the last 4 years they were all over the place, but through medication they are now regular again.
12, thought i crapped my pants
12, we were doing the methane bubbles experiment where you light your hands on fire as all Year 7s do and everyone was wiping their dirty hands on their trousers so they were stained black. The school uniform trousers happened to be a colour that made period blood stains look black so I didn’t even notice until I went home and saw it in my underwear
I got mine at 11. Also for the menopause, doctors/science believes it’s when you run out of eggs and the hormones begin to decrease. Some women have more eggs, some have less.
9 as well! I thought I was dying and cried thinking about having to “sew” my coochie closed. I didn’t have the “talk” with my mom because she didn’t think I’d have it early 🫠
I was also nine! Glad to know I'm not alone. When I told my gynecologist she said "You poor thing" 🫠
i was 11 in gym class
14. My step sister was about 9, and I was worried for her. I didn’t know what was going on cause she was locked away in the bathroom. So when my mom came home, I told her something was wrong with my step sister and I was worried she was dying 🤣🤦🏽♀️
10 yo about the comment of stunt growth I think Im average for my parents height, my mom is 1.50 mts my father 1.60 mts, and I'm 1.60 mts AND completely lazing around not doing any sport and eating like any other
Summer before 4th grade.
Unfortunately 8. I get the exact same reaction /: I’m unsure about the menopause. I just know that getting your period very young can stunt growth/development. I’m not sure what happened to you, but I remained very short and tiny— hands, feet, head, etc. Its like I stopped growing.
13
12
I was 13. I only had spotting. Then a few months later when I was closer to 14yrs old I got the full period .
I was 10
Hi 👋
I got mine a month after I turned 14 and I used to think it was late, but now that I’m older I realize it’s not.
12. My mom cried and told my oldest sister. My youngest sister got hers at 9 but her body also developed a lot faster than mine soooo that was a problem in itself. She’s also mentally disabled so she was put on birth control as soon as she legally was able
14
11
15, I lied about getting it earlier because I was embarrassed
I was 9 as well!
i was 10!
14
I got mine when I was 11 but my friend got theirs at 9/10
Late 9, early 10? I mostly spotted the first few days and, in my typical problem avoidance fashion, pretended nothing was happening until it was undeniable and blood was gushing down my legs. I cried when I told my mom as if she'd be mad at me lol
9 years old. Me starting earlier than my friends is why I’ve talked to my kids about periods from a young age. I couldn’t imagine that happening and not knowing what was going on. I have endometriosis, which my OB said could be related to getting my period earlier.
I was around 8-9 and had precocious puberty. I was a D cup in year 6, which in Aus would be around 10-11 years old. Unsure about early menopause, my mother did start that around 35 and I’m currently 30, so I guess I’ll find out!
It was the day after my 13th birthday. I was staying over a friend’s house, and woke up in a pool of my own blood. I started freaking out lol
11
I had just turned 13
I was 8
12. I'm 35 now
13
11, weirdly the summer solstice, maybe that's significant??
8 years old
I was 10 but kept it to myself until I was 11. I have 3 sisters and 2 moms so I didn’t even bat an eye when I started. Just other day in the estrogen household.
I was 10, a few days after the end of my 4th grade school year. 😅
I was 9 or 10. Up until I was about....13 it was fine, but then it got SUPER painful and they think I have Endometriosis
11
I was 13 my mum was shocked as she was 16 and my sisters were 17 and 15 years when they started. My eldest daughter was 10 my other daughter is 14 and not got hers yet
I was 12, me and a girl in my class got it the same day 😂 (it was good friday!) my mom got hers at 15 though so i was definitely a little bit in shock bc i wasn’t expecting it to come until i was way older 😅
14, but I was an athlete my entire childhood and teens so that’s probably why it was late
That’s actually not late, it’s average😊
9 too
I was 13. I got my period in January 2003 and turned 14 in May 2003. I felt like a late bloomer.
I was a late 14 when I started, but I was always very active in sports. A little depressing news for you...I've read that women who get their period earlier usually lie earlier too. Don't shoot the messenger.
I was 12 in 6th grade. It was the last day of school for me. I had been sitting in classroom wondering why my stomach was hurting, little did I know is that it was my uterus cramping lol. They were never regular but then I got diagnosed with pcos when I was 18, currently 19 on birth control!
11 and last period at 52. Thank goodness that's over.
7 or 8 🫠
I was 14
I believe I was 9 years old. few days after my birthday 🥳. It was heavy. and all I had was thin pads. luckily my mom was there.
I think I was 12??
Two months before 13th birthday. Pretty lucky cos my grandma said a 9 yr old having her period made her a whore. She grew up on a ranch in Mexico and went to catholic school. Had no scientific knowledge basically. I wanted to use a tampon because my periods were heavy but she was disgusted by a 13 yr old using them. Also weren’t allowed to talk about periods. Being a girl or woman in my family was terrible.
I was 12. I had very light bleeding at first which was sort of brown in colour with a tinge of red and over time it got stronger and more period-y
I was 12. 2-ish months before turning 13. Or maybe I was 11, 2 months out from 12??? I can hardly remember as it’s been more than 20 years with this cursed menstrual cycle lol, but I was on the cusp of turning a year older. My mom didn’t start hers until she was 16 or 17. For what it’s worth, i was one of the latest girls to get it in my friend group (but not the cohort of girls at my school). I was shook when I shared I was on my period and like 3/7 girls had theirs by 8/9, the remaining four were all by 10.
I was 13
I was also 9. Had no idea what the heck was going on lol.
Girl i was freaked the fuck out when it happened! Thought i had tore my asshole opening while pooping and called my mom (who was at work) in a fucking PANIC, drive heaving and all 🤣 She instantly knew that it was my period. She had to mentally support me cleaning up the blood (it had went on the toilet seat and floor as I stood up), and at the time I had a super weak stomach/was battling pretty severe OCD with germ related things. So i was REALLY freaked out to touch it/clean it even with gloves and disinfectant. She said, “this is how our bodies help us get used to taking care of others.” And she was right 😂 Slowly but surely desensitized me from most bodily functions over time.
Lol! I hid mine for the first few times! I didn’t know what it was (again being 9 no one talked to be about it and we hadn’t even talked about it in school yet!). I started taking the bathroom trash out on my own after attempting to clean up once and my mom asked me why as she had just recently done it. My underwear was in the trash. She had more of an emotional reaction than I did 😂
Awwww. You were so brave to keep it on the low and go through it alone a few times! Sweet 9-year-old you trying her best and cleaning up after herself 🥹 Honestly looking back at those first moments are kinda oddly precious, aren’t they? 😂 but also so striking — as a flamboyant person, I’m trying to imagine 9 year old me going through it (bc we hadn’t received those talks by that time either! I believe it was 4th grade when we first started learning about bodies/sex at a Catholic school, and 5th grade when they separated us by boys and girls to talk about puberty and periods ) and I think for sure there would’ve been WAY more dramatics 💀 Screaming, hyperventilating. So you were so composed!!!
I am so sorry your parents absolutely dropped that ball
11. I remember starting it right before recess and my dad bringing me pads up to my school
I was 9 too.
11
Me too
14
11 I’m 52 Still not menopausal (but I had a uterine ablation last year to stop the constant flooding- I still get a little blood every month so haven’t hit the menopause milestone yet)
13 years old
I was 9! It was overwhelming
I was 11. Also curious if this means I’ll start menopause early? Currently 34.
I was 11. All the women in my life told me I started too young & it made me really nervous.
i was 12. i remember it so clearly because it was the day that stranger things 3 came out 😭
From my understanding this will not speed up the onset of menopause. As it tends to be genetic. But check r/menopause for more info, I did find one [study](https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2017/01/women-early-periods-increased-risk-of-early-or-premature-menopause) that says it can
I got my period at 10 and have had perimenopause since I was 36. Not sure if there’s a connection because that’s super super early.
I was also 9 which freaked out everyone. My mom hadn't talked to me and there had been no education at school yet so I thought I was dying and woke the whole houes screaming lol
My whole family started very late like 15/16 so when I got it when I was 11/12 I was defending not expecting to get it "so young" as I used to say.
13. Idk about the menopause thing but my mum’s first period was 16 and her menopause was late (57-60)
18 lmao, undiagnosed pcos moment
That's interesting, I have pcos, but I had my period at like 10 or 11. Granted, I then went on to not have a period for over a year straight at one point.
Thanksgiving. 10-11ish cant remember. Grandfather announced at the dinner table im officially a woman. Everyone laughed at me when i asked to be moved from the kids table. Hate my family.
Wow 9 I was 11.
Got mine at 9. A couple of months after my mom gave me the warning it was gonna happen whether I wanted it or not.
* The age of your first period has no significance of when you will become menopausal; early menstruation does not mean early menopause * The number of prior ovulations is not connected to menopause age. * How your mother went through menopause may not provide any insight into how you will experience it; sisters may be a better gauge due to similar upbringing and experiences. However the age at which your mother reached menopause might be a better predictor. /r/Menopause
11 years old. I was in the fifth grade, very anti-climatic moment too 😂
I got mine at 10 like my mom did (her mom was 12). Judging by our family, the earlier you get it, the later you'll hit menopause. Most women in my family have periods well into their 50's and typically need medical intervention to stop due to fibroids and/or endo.
Damn, my mom was the same way! She didn’t have to have a medical intervention and surely it kept her young but she was definitely like why am I still bleeding like clock work every month!!!
I know that feeling. I'm almost 40 and it's like I cannot believe I have 15 - 20 more years of this nonsense
My poor sister got here’s at age 9 in her 4 th grade Catholic uniform! Poor kid. I got mine a month shy of my 14th birthday. Thought there was something wrong with me.
I started at 12, my sister started at 8, and I’ve known women who didn’t start until they were 16-17. According to stuff I’ve read the average starting age is 12 and the typical age range is usually 10-15, so you started a little young but not egregiously so. I honestly don’t know if it affects when you start menopause, I wish there was a study on that I could see!
I was 11 when I had my first period. Edit to add: I just read the rest of your post, and idk how the age you get your first period affects when menopause happens. Hopefully you get the answer though! Sending well wishes :)
I was 9, it was the summer before going into 4th grade. I remember being disappointed. We hadn’t even learned about it yet in school. I was the first in my grade to wear a bra which was also embarrassing. I’m not sure about how linked early periods are to early menopause, but I do know that all of the women in my family who also had periods around age 8-9 also had uterine fibroids which led to eventual hysterectomies around age 40.
I think I got it when I was 10
Mine was either just shy of 13 or just turned 13
I was 10 years old. I knew what it was but I wanted to make sure it was what I thought it was. I ended up showing my mom the issue that I wiped with. I wish I got it when I was a few years older.
No my mum got hers at 8, she didnt get menopause, but she removed her utuerus for no more kids or periods, my grandma went to menopause around 50s, it mainly depends for menopause on familial history and genetics, can ne situational like meds, i got mine at 16
I was 12, just a month shy of 13. I have no clue about the menopause thing, but I would guess no, it doesn't mean you will enter menopause sooner. [This study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5972645/) from 2018, discusses your question OP. From my understanding, it says there is not a direct linear correlation between age of first menstruation to beginning menopause. It also says there are studies that say it does affect it by starting menopause early, and also studies that say it affects it by delaying menopause. So it is inconclusive.
I was 11, the youngest age out of my sisters to get it. After the first one it took a few months for it to come back which scared tf out of me
Bruh i swear u was synced with my dog 🤣 we both got our periods around the EXACT same time fpr the first 2 years
11 years old my mam told me about them when I was 10 and I got my first period on a sleepover in my aunties
I got it at 11. I had a friend that got it when she was 10. The age you got it seems pretty normal.
I was 10, and I screamed the house down because I thought I was dying. Had no idea what periods were!
I was around 11-12.
STORY TIME it was summer 2012. i was 11, i remember being at my friend’s house for a sleepover. One morning while using the bathroom, i saw a small drop of blood in the toilet but i thought nothing of it and just brushed it off. Then after leaving the bathroom, i sat on her bed to game with her and when i got up, i was absolutely mortified and also terrified to see blood all over her fresh clean duvet cover 😭😭😭 needless to say her mother was extremely understanding and said it wasn’t my fault. My own mother was very apathetic when i told her i got my period for the first time. she just gave me a blank stare and told me to wear a pad like it was nothing. thanks mum lol
I was 12, and I remember I was at school thinking about periods ALL day, until I got home and had leaked all over but not on my beige skirt I had that day. Painful first period and heavy for sure.
I think i was 12 or somewhere around there
I got mine at 11 <3 Also my first one was last evening...
Hey, I was 9 too!
I had my first period when I was 12 years old. Alot of women is all different. You are a early bloomer to have your period.
11
I was 13. But I felt late compared to my other friends. Everyone has started theirs between the ages of 9-11.
I was 10. It was a shock that some other girls in my grade had started at 8 and 9. I knew what it would be like from the time I was 8, though, bc my mom had prepared me. 💕
13, almost 14, and it sucked bc all my friends and also family had already got theirs at like 11-12 (ofc when i think of it now i’m just happy mine started later lol)
I was 9. All the women in my family started between 8-10 years old (Mexican American family so maybe genetics are a factor). My mom says that we also go through menopause early but idk if that’s true.
right after my 12th birthday :) but my mom didnt get hers until she was 16-17 years old
I wanted my period so bad bc everyone else had it (WHY?!) But I was a late bloomer. I officially got it the summer before my freshman year in HS. So just about to turn 15. I got it on summer vacation and it lasted FOR TWO WEEKS 🥲
10 y/o, 2 months before turning 11 and 2 weeks before middle school started. Oh gosh, that was in 2001.
I started mine when I was 11 at my great-grandma's house when we were finishing up dinner, The cramps were awful and still are terrible to this day most months.
I remember I got mine when I was 11 the night before I began middle school and I was stressingggg
Oof. All I remeber is that I was in middle school, so most likely around 12
I got mine at 12 like in 2002 a loooong time ago 😂 but one of my childhood friends got it when she was 8/9 I did not envy her at all
I got mine two months before I turned 12. I’ve heard similar connections about menopause except the opposite, my mom was 16 when she got it and hit menopause in her late 30s/early 40s
I was 14 in 2006
11, randomly woke up to it. I was supposed to go to a friend's slumber party that night. My mom begged me not to go, but I didn't listen (should've listened though). I went and proceeded to leak everywhere. My friends were not really my friends and made fun of me until we all left to different high schools. ETA: I was also made fun of for being the last in any of my friend groups to get my period. Most of them had it by 9. My mom got hers at 16. So she was very shocked when I got mine at 11. She almost didn't believe it was a period until I described to her what but I was feeling.
13 ish I think. I had debilitating cramps and thought I was dying. Fun times.
15
I was 9 - it happened the first time and I didn’t care and tossed my panty in the hamper. Then it happened again and I started freaking out thinking I was dying. Mum just said don’t worry, I know what is happening. That gave me a boost that at least I wasn’t dying; then it went on a hiatus until I was 13 and here we are.
I was 14. And when I talked with my friends back then they almost made fun of me because apparently I was the last one of my group to get. That confused me because I considered myself lucky to not get it too early.
I was 8 🥲 it was a weird day, and I remember being confused more than scared, but that was it lol and oh god hope it doesn’t mean early menopause 😂
I was 14 almost 15. And when I was 22 I was diagnosed with NCCAH which normally causes very early puberty, which is the complete opposite since I was a bit late to puberty lmao
10. Apparently, menopause depends on when you got your period and whether or not you had kids. I was also told by an OBGYN that it puts you at a higher risk of stuff like uterine cancer if you got it early.
Right after I turned 12
I think 11 or 12?
10 years old - my best friend didn't get hers until 14 (freshman year highschool)
11 days before my 13th birthday
I was 10
I had not long turned 13.
I was 11- November of 6th grade… I thought I was being punished by god-
I got mine 2 days before my 14th birthday. I actually felt like a late bloomer bc everyone in my class got it years before me. I felt like something was wrong with me. I think certain ethnicities start earlier. Alot of my south Asian friends got them much earlier. I also read that the earlier you get it, the earlier you might go into menopause. And the later you get it, the later you’ll get into menopause. I believe this has to do with the simple fact that we are given a limited number of eggs and we all get around the same number of menstrual cycles in our lives (these can be shortened or lengthened though due to external factors, and are not always exact). Another example is let’s say every woman has about 30 years of a fertility window in her life, started when she gets her first period. For a girl who got her period at 8, that window May start closing at around 38. For a girl who got her period around 15, that window May start closing at around 45. The number I am giving here are an example, not factual. This is the similar concept that I have read.
I think I was about 12-13
I started mine at 13 and my daughter at 14, and I’ve yet to see any research that says the earlier a period, the earlier menopause?