Climate change may affect timing of first periods in girls: Study

Global Public Health, showed that girls across most states in India were starting to menstruate at a younger age, except those in Maharashtra, where the onset of periods among girls was found to be delayed

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Climate change could be affecting when girls get their first periods, with higher humidity linked with an earlier onset and higher temperatures with a delayed one, according to a study.

Researchers from institutes in Bangladesh, including the North South University, analysed data gathered through ‘Demographic and Health Surveys’ (DHS) during 1992-93 and 2019-21, along with climate data from NASA.

Over 23,000 responses from 1992 and 45,300 from 2019 were analysed.

Results of the analysis, published in the journal PLOS Global Public Health, showed that girls across most states in India were starting to menstruate at a younger age, except those in Maharashtra, where the onset of periods among girls was found to be delayed.