Menstruation Isn't Why Girls Become Sexually Active
The Claim
Periods make girls sexually mature.
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Emerging story
There are many myths about young women and periods. Many of them have to do with women being unclean when they menstruate. Another myth has to do with girls who get their periods being suddenly sexually active. This idea can be responsible for young girls discontinuing their education, fearing sexual assault by male classmates.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar has discovered that around the world, girls are less likely to graduate from secondary school than boys. Many girls drop out of school worldwide once they begin menstruating. Part of the reason is inadequate sanitation. However, there are other myths around menstruation that prevent girls from attending school, including the idea that as soon as girls have their period, they are suddenly sexually active.
When a girl becomes sexually active depends not only on biology, but also on culture, social, and emotional factors.
For example, in Mali, 25 percent of young women were sexually active before the age of 15, compared to only 1 percent in the Philippines.
And, a new study shows the separation between when a girl begins menstruating and when she is sexually active.
According to the study, girls who start menstruating at a younger-than-average age do not have sex earlier than their peers.
Australian researchers found that among 554 girls followed through childhood, those who started their monthly periods before age 12 did not get an earlier start on their sex lives.
In fact, the study found, girls who got their first period early waited longer before having sex -- about five years versus less than four years among girls who started menstruating at the average age, further demonstrating that multiple factors beyond the beginning of menstruation play into when a girl will become sexually active.
