More than half of girls in a major U.S. study developed painful periods by ages 12 or 13, according to research published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. Black and Hispanic girls were significantly more likely to be affected than white girls.
Researchers tracked 2,254 girls ages 9–10 who had not yet begun menstruating as part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, which began enrolling participants between 2016 and 2018. When reassessed three years later, nearly 58 percent reported having dysmenorrhea, with around 20 percent describing their pain as severe.
Girls who reported nonpainful physical symptoms at ages 9–10—such as nausea and dizziness—were more likely to develop period pain later. Those already showing signs of early physical maturation, including breast development, body hair or growth spurts, were considerably more likely to go on to have dysmenorrhea. Sleep problems at that age were not linked to developing period pain, though earlier sleep difficulties were associated with greater disruption to daily activities among girls who did develop dysmenorrhea.
Black adolescents were 38 percent more likely to develop painful periods than white adolescents, and Hispanic adolescents were 34 percent more likely than non-Hispanic adolescents. The authors noted that these disparities may reflect wider social and cultural factors, including unequal access to health care, stigma around menstruation, and earlier physical development among Black and Hispanic girls, which researchers linked to social and cultural stressors.
The findings suggest that girls at risk of developing dysmenorrhea could be identified before their periods begin, the authors said, potentially opening earlier opportunities for clinical support particularly for those facing the greatest health inequalities.