An Abuja-based medical practitioner, Dr Chioma Ofoekii, says it is normal for a girl to start menstruation as early as eight years.
Ofoekii told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that a girl’s body can begin to change into
that of an adult too soon, which is called precocious puberty.
Menstruation, or period, is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman’s monthly circle.
Every month, the woman’s body prepares for pregnancy; if no pregnancy occurs, the uterus, or womb,
sheds its lining. The menstrual blood is partly blood and partly tissue from inside the uterus.
Ofoekii, who said that precocious puberty usually occurs before the age of eight in girls and before the
age of nine in boys, added that “it refers to the onset of secondary sexual characteristics before the age of eight years.
“In girls, this will commonly manifest as breast development, menstrual bleeding, pubic and auxiliary hairs, acne and
rapid bone and muscle growth.
“A girl who…
Source: News Agency of Nigeria