Recollections of menarche and women's subsequent experiences with menstruation

Seventy college women aged 18 to 22 and 67 older women aged 30 to 45 completed a questionnaire comprised of multiple choice and open-ended questions covering recollections of menarche, preparation for menstruation, menstrual symptoms, and current attitude. The hypothesis that menarche was a significant developmental event that would be readily recalled by a majority of women regardless of age was confirmed. Almost all of the women remembered their first menstruation and the early experiences described by both groups were similar. Most women felt they were adequately prepared and a significant relationship was found between adequacy of preparation and positive reaction to menarche among the college women. Both groups reported a similar incidence of menstrual pain, bleeding, and amenorrhea. However, the incidence of menstrual symptoms in adult women was not significantly related to preparation for menstruation or to whether or not menarche was a positive event.