This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.
Abstract
Age at menarche and age at first intercourse obtained from the records of 229 teenage
patients and 155 women over age 20 attending health department clinics were examined
to determine the relationship of menarche to the onset of sexual activity. Analysis
of the data demonstrated that age at menarche is predictive of the age at first intercourse
in that it is the lowest age for which prediction is indicated for all age groups.
Age at onset of menses did not differ significantly among the age groups or between
races although the average age at menarche was earlier for today's teens than for
women over 30. Age at first intercourse cannot be predicted by age at menarche; however,
among teens, those who mature earlier tended to have intercourse earlier. This observation
did not hold for women over 20 even when the data were adjusted for study design bias.
Key Words
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent GynecologyAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Sexual activity, contraceptive use and pregnancy among metropolitan-area teenagers: 1971–1979.Family Planning Perspectives. 1980; 11: 230
- Teen Pregnancy The Problem That Hasn't Gone Away. New York. 1980
- The risk of premarital first pregnancy among metropolitan-area teenagers: 1976 and 1979.Family Planning Perspective. 1982; 14: 239
- Sexual behavior in the human male. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia1948
- Sexual behavior in the human female. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia1953
- Age at menarche, at first intercourse, and at first pregnancy.J Biosoc Sci. 1979; 11: 433
- Age at menarche, socio-sexual behavior and fertility.Soc Biol. 1978; 25: 94
- Ages of physical maturation and first intercourse in black teenage males and females.Demography. 1986; 23: 595
Chilman C: Adolescent sexuality in a changing American society: Social and psychological perspectives. DHEW Publication No (NIH), 79–1426
- The accuracy of recalled age at menarche.Hum Biol. 1962; 34: 218
- Age of menarche of mothers and daughters with a note on the accuracy of recall.Hum Biol. 1969; 41: 161
- The Naked Ape: A Zoologists Study of the Human Animal. McGraw Hill, New York1967
Article info
Identification
Copyright
© 1988 Springer-Verlag New York Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
