The Effects of an Early Menarche: Understanding How Starting Your Period Young Impacts You in Adulthood w/ Guest Avocado Allie

our early period stories, the state of modern sex ed, and how winter can effect our menstrual cycles. As you may know, Allie is a social media influencer, yoga instructor, model, and overall inspiring person. She and I share the life experience of starting our periods super young, and we each discuss what that was like for us as kids. The average age to have a first menstrual cycle is around 12 years old, and many kids that age don’t quite know what to expect! Some adolescents can even internalize shame, like if parents’ responses don’t match what they’re needing or if peers react in unkind ways. We discuss what it was like getting boobs early, being overly sexualized by our culture, and feeling like our bodies were somehow different than our friends’. I look back at things like lying to my mom unnecessarily about my periods, and misleading my peers about my level of sexual activity, and I realize there was way too much shame going on. Allie shares her thoughts on public school and how separating boys and girls might make certain aspects of sex ed more confusing and weird than it needs to be. We look back on whether our guy friends handled “girl” topics well when they were brought up, and why it was considered cool to be on birth control. I also recall the challenges that led to my decision to have breast reduction surgery at a young-ish age. And of course, we once again lament the lack of research, resources and conversations around period and cycle health. Then we talk about this younger generation, who thankfully acts more open to things like trying period underwear, acknowledging diverse bodies and validating others’ experiences, but who still have to walk through the awkwardness of adolescence and shifting social norms. Then, the final topic in this episode is: Seasonal Affective Disorder effects periods! AND, you’re 4x more likely to experience S.A.D. if you’re a person who has periods. We share some very interesting and little-known facts about how periods can get worse in winter months, as well as touch on the PMDD diagnosis and its treatment options. Allie shares how her psychiatrist responded well to these topics wen she brought them up, as well as her thoughts on PMDD, S.A.D., SSRI’s and probably some other acronyms as well. If you have more hormone, mood or physical challenges in the winter months, you’re far from alone. Allie and I love and appreciate you! And we hope that this fun conversation spreads knowledge and encouragement. Follow Allie: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@avocado_allie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avocado_allie/ Check out my TED talk that we mentioned: youtube.com/watch?v=RnVDEYkTlc4 For more info on winter and periods: https://www.cvwomenscenter.com/blog/how-winter-can-affect-menstrual-cycle/