Menarcheal timing, memories of menarche, and later attitudes toward menstruation

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to explore memories of menarche in a sample of 404 young adult Mexican women who had reached menarche on-time or earlier or later than their peers. Current attitudes toward menstruation were also assessed and compared to memories of menarche and menarcheal timing. Methods: The study used both quantitative (Beliefs and Attitudes toward Menstruation scale; checklist items about menarche memories) and qualitative (responses to the sentence stem "My first period was...") methods. Results: Early maturers had the most negative memories of menarche and were most likely to believe that menstruation should be kept secret. Regression analyses showed that more positive emotional reactions to menarche are associated with more positive attitudes toward menstruation (i.e. pride, pleasant) in young adulthood, whereas more negative reactions are associated with more negative (i.e. secretive, shameful) attitudes in young adults. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that education about physiological, psychological, and practical aspects of menstruation should be provided to girls at younger ages so that early maturing girls will be better prepared for menarche and will have more positive (or, at least, less negative) experiences with and emotional reactions to it.