---
title: At what age do teenage girls first notice premenstrual symptoms?
description: Most girls first noticed PMS around age 15, about 2 years after their first period. Girls who started their period earlier were slightly less likely to develo
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/when-and-how-do-adolescent-girls-in-japan-become-aware-of-premenstrual-symptoms-2021/
---

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- At what age do teenage girls first notice premenstrual symptoms?

Survey study, 2021

# At what age do teenage girls first notice premenstrual symptoms?

Most girls first noticed PMS around age 15, about 2 years after their first period. Girls who started their period earlier were slightly less likely to develop PMS later.

 Moderate study design

1290 female high school students (10th-12th grade) in Sendai, Japan

## What they did

A survey of 1290 high school girls (10th-12th grade) in Sendai, Japan. They answered questions about when they first noticed premenstrual symptoms and when they started their period.

## What they found

The median age at first period was 12 years. 49% of girls reported having premenstrual symptoms. The median age when they first noticed these symptoms was 15 years. Girls noticed PMS about 2 years after starting their period on average. Girls who started their period earlier had a lower chance of developing PMS.

## What it means for you

Most teenage girls experience PMS within a couple of years of starting their period, typically around mid-teens. The reason that girls who start their period earlier had lower PMS rates might be psychological or social rather than purely hormonal.

1290

girls studied

49%

reported premenstrual symptoms

2 years

median time from first period to noticing PMS

## About the study

Original title When and how do adolescent girls in Japan become aware of premenstrual symptoms from menarche? A cross-sectional study among senior high school students Authors Yoshimi K, Matsumura N, Takeda T Journal BMJ open Year 2021 Study design Survey study Participants 1,290 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045215](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045215)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

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