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December 29, 1999

Puberty

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Question from Tampa, Florida, USA:

My daughter just turned 12. All her friends have started their periods, and she is worried when hers will start. Will the fact that she is diabetic have any effect as to when her period will start?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

If the diabetes is under reasonable control, she has been growing normally, and does not have an untreated underactive thyroid, her periods should start at a normal time. There is wide variation in the age of onset of puberty, usually related to family patterns. In other words, if either you or her father were one of the later ones to go through puberty, she may also be one of the later ones, unrelated to her diabetes. The average age of starting menstruation in North America is between 12 and 13.

TGL