Memories of menarche: age, preparation, and prior knowledge as determinants of initial menstrual experience.
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.
Koff
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Rierdan
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Sheingold
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D000367:Age Factors; D001519:Behavior; D003710:Demography; D008572:Menarche; D008598:Menstruation; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D011584:Psychology; D012098:Reproduction; D014481:United States
Age Factors; Behavior; Demographic Factors; Menarche; Menstruation; Population; Population Characteristics; Psychological Factors; Reproduction; Research Report; United States