ALL ABOUT THE NORMAL MENSTRUAL CYCLE

'I'm worried about Kim' perturbed mother said, as she came into my surgery. 'She is now 11, and has had only one period. It only lasted a few hours, and that's all. I'm sure she is not pregnant.'

'At 11 I would hope she isn't pregnant,' I replied, facing perturbed mother whose wrinkled brow indicated her concern. Kim, on the other hand, seemed happy enough, and barely took notice of what was being discussed.

'But virtually no periods, and 11, going on for 12,' perturbed mother continued. 'She'll be 12soon. Most of her friends have been menstruating normally for years... or so they say.'

'So they say,' I emphasized. 'In fact, a careful check may indicate that quite a few are in a similar position to Kim. Normally, menstruation starts anywhere from 10 yearsoccasionally 9 yearsup to 16 or 17; sometimes it is even later. So, I wouldn't worry too much about your daughter. We'll check her out anyhow, just to make sure everything is okay.'

This episode is commonplace in the everyday life of family doctors. With today's emphasis on sexual development and keeping up with one's peers, mothers and daughters take sometimes enormous interest in appearing 'normal', like the other children, of having whatever the others have, be it a regular menstrual cycle, attractive chest dimensions, athletic prowess, or whatever.

This is no crime, although the competition can frequently throw added stress on the hapless person who is battling to keep pace. In turn, this can often mitigate against reaching goals already reached by othersrather than the reverse. It is well known that menstruation is influenced (perhaps more than we realize) by emotional situations. Stresses, tensions and anxieties have a deleterious effect.

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Womens health