Dear MEL Topic Readers,
How air pollution is causing girls to get their first periods earlier
New research in the US has found that girls are entering puberty at a
younger age than previous generations. Girls born in the early 2000s in the US
experienced their first period when they were 11.9 years on average. It was
12.5 years only half a century ago. A similar trend has also been found in
South Korea whose fertility rate is the lowest in the world. The causes of
earlier puberty are still being investigated. Studies in South Korea suggest
that air pollution might affect physical development. One concern about earlier
puberty is that girls are likely to become sexually active earlier, which could
lead to unwanted teen pregnancies. Also, it has been thought that early puberty
could trigger higher risks of breast cancer, obesity, diabetes, and
cardiovascular disease. While girls are becoming ready to become pregnant
earlier, fewer babies are born in developed countries and metropolitan
communities, including South Korea.
Read the article and learn about why girls are getting their first
periods at younger ages.
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