Female Puberty Issues / Question
Published: May 2, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I have not gotten my period yet. I am 16. What should I do? Also, is it true that most girls don't get their period until they are 20?
Signed: 16 - No Period, Yet
Dear 16 - No Period, Yet,
No, it is not true that most girls do not get their period until they are 20. In fact, a girl's period can begin as early as age 8 and as late as age 16. The average age when a girl gets her period is usually about 12.5 to 18 years old (usually about 2 years after breast development). Because you are nearing age 17 and have not had your first period, please talk to your doctor about it.
For other questions similar to yours and for more information on your menstrual cycle (period), see When Will I Get My Period, Am I Starting My Period, Periodless, Missing My Period, 16, No Period and My Cycle And Pregnancy.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
The teen pregnancy rate in the United States is the highest of any industrialized democracy, nearly twice that of Great Britain and 10 times that of Japan. 
