Ladies without plastic - Green Menstruation. Environmental challenge by Sofonie Dala, Angola. Day 10

 Women without plastic - Key to reduce our carbon footprints 👣 

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, 

Welcome to tenth day of our environmental challenge Women Without Plastic - Key to reduce our carbon footprints! 

Amenorrhea is when a girl’s menstrual bleeding (period) doesn’t occur. Primary amenorrhea is when the first menstrual bleeding at puberty doesn’t occur by age 15. Delayed puberty in girls occurs when breasts don't develop by age 13 or menstrual periods do not begin by age 16.

Although most girls get their first period when they're around 12, our today's guests have already reached 14 years of age and are still not menstruating.~

 Interview with Georgina

Good afternoon young lady!

Good afternoon.

What is your name?

My name is Georgina.

How old are you?

I'm 14 years old.

Which of these pads do you use?

None of them.

Why?

Because I'm not menstruating yet.

Oh, haven't you started menstruating yet?

Not yet.

Is this normal to happen in your family?

Yes.

How old do girls start menstruating in your family?

With 16 years of age.

Who started menstruating at the age of 16 in your family?

My mother and my sisters.

Is this natural to happen in your family? Have you ever consulted a doctor to find out why you have late menstruation?

No, we didn't consult the doctor.

If your mom didn’t get their period until they were 15 or older, chances are that being a late bloomer runs in your family. That may especially be true if your aunts, grandmothers, and cousins also started menstruating only after they were well into high school. 

 Girls usually start their periods between 10 and 16 years of age. Most girls get their first period when they're around 12. It’s a sign that your body is maturing, so that one day, if you want to, you should be able to have a baby.

Interview with Vilcya

~

Hey, good afternoon!

Good afternoon!

What is your name?

My name is Vilcya.

Vicya how old are you?

I'm 14 years old.

Okay, can you tell us which of these pads you use?

Well, I don't use any.

Why?

Because I haven't started menstruating yet.

oh, 14 years old, and still not menstruating?

Yes it's true.

Are these cases common in your family?

Yes.

At what age do women usually start menstruating in your family?

Women in my family start menstruating at the age of 17.

Seriously?

Yes Yes,

OK thanks.

How does climate affect your menstrual cycle?

While climate change does not directly affect your period, it results in a lot of other changes that can throw your cycle off-balance: changes in your food habits, differences in your exercise patterns, increased levels of stress. Moreover, many factors that affect the timing menarche in girls could be affected by climate change.

Research from climatology was incorporated to describe how climate change events, including increased hurricanes, avalanches/mudslides/landslides, and extreme weather events could alter the age of menarche by disrupting food availability or via increased toxin/pollutant release. These perturbations in the timing of menarche are likely to increase the disease burden for women in four key areas: mental health, fertility-related conditions, cardiovascular disease, and bone health. In summary, the climate does have the potential to impact women’s health through perturbation in the timing of menarche and this, in turn, will affect women’s risk of disease in future.