title: Memories of menarche: age, preparation, and prior knowledge as determinants of initial menstrual experience.
abstract: The relationships between age at menarche, preparation for menarche, and initial experience of menarche, were assessed in a retrospective questionnaire administered to 97 college aged women.  The more knowledgeable a girl was prior to menarche, the more adequate she perceived her preparation for menarche to have been; and the older she was at the time of menarche, the more likely she was to report a positive initial experience.  These data support clinical anecdotes describing initial responses to menarche, and provide information about the factors which can moderate the extent to which menarche is experienced as a traumatic and disruptive event.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koff
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rierdan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sheingold
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001519:Behavior; D003710:Demography; D008572:Menarche; D008598:Menstruation; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D011584:Psychology; D012098:Reproduction; D014481:United States
keywords: Age Factors; Behavior; Demographic Factors; Menarche; Menstruation; Population; Population Characteristics; Psychological Factors; Reproduction; Research Report; United States