--- title: Does when you start puberty affect your risk of premenstrual disorders as an adult? description: Women who started menstruating later had lower risk of premenstrual disorders in adulthood. Women who had early pubic hair growth had higher risk of premenstr url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/pubertal-development-and-risk-of-premenstrual-disorders-in-young-adulthood-2021/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does when you start puberty affect your risk of premenstrual disorders as an adult? Cohort study, 2021 # Does when you start puberty affect your risk of premenstrual disorders as an adult? Women who started menstruating later had lower risk of premenstrual disorders in adulthood. Women who had early pubic hair growth had higher risk of premenstrual disorders. Strong study design 6495 girls followed from 1996-2013, assessed in adulthood (mean age 26) ## What they did 6495 girls were followed from 1996 to 2013 as part of the Growing Up Today Study. Researchers tracked when they entered puberty using self-reported age at first period and measures of breast and pubic hair development. In 2013, when girls were around age 26, they answered questions about premenstrual symptoms. ## What they found By 2013, 15.4% of women met criteria for a premenstrual disorder. Women whose menstruation started later had lower risk of premenstrual disorders and fewer symptoms. Women with early pubic hair growth had higher risk of premenstrual disorders and more symptoms. Breast development timing was not linked to premenstrual disorder risk. ## What it means for you The age you start puberty appears linked to whether you develop premenstrual disorders as an adult. Starting menstruation later was protective, and early pubic hair growth increased risk. However, this is an observational study, not a controlled experiment, so we cannot say that puberty timing causes premenstrual disorders. Some women may have misremembered when they started menstruating. 6495 Girls in study 15.4% Who developed premenstrual disorder by age 26 1.28 Increased risk with early pubic hair growth ## About the study Original title Pubertal development and risk of premenstrual disorders in young adulthood Authors Lu D, Aleknaviciute J, Bjarnason R et al. Journal Human reproduction (Oxford, England) Year 2021 Study design Cohort study Participants 6,495 What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deaa309](https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deaa309) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Cohort study, 2022 Does body size during childhood affect the risk of premenstrual disorders later? Systematic review, 2021 How common is PMDD among female students in Ethiopia? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Survey study, 2026 How common are PMS and PMDD in teenagers, and can a new questionnaire measure their impact? Survey study, 2026 How common are severe PMS and PMDD in young women, and what are the risk factors? Survey study, 2025 Is the PSST a good screening tool for PMS in Bangladesh? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗