Early menarche in adolescent girls has an effect on how quickly they come into contact with sexual life. This may have an impact on the increased incidence of unintended pregnancy, increased childbirth and abortion in adolescents. The condition of adolescents who are too young at menarche and poor reproductive health status will create problems with their menstruation, especially when the right sources of reproductive health information are not fully utilized. The aim of this scoping review is to interpret the effects of early menarche on sexual and reproductive health. The Scoping Review method was carried out using the following steps; 1) identifying research questions; 2) identifying relevant studies, through the Pubmed, Ebsco, and Wiley databases. In the search for articles, the keywords used are Effect OR Outcomes AND Menarche OR Menstruation OR Menstrua * OR menses OR "Early Menarche" AND "Reproductive Health" OR sexual reproduction * AND sexual behavior * OR "sexual debut" OR "Sexual Partners OR" unsafe sex "OR" unprotected sex ". The article criteria used are articles published from 2009 to 2019 and discussing the effects of early menarche on sexual and reproductive health; 3) the selection of articles was described using the Prisma Flow Chart where in full text search results, 18 articles were obtained and 9 articles was used for the review as these have quality assessment and according to population, methods, and results; 4) carrying out data charting; and 5) carrying out the compilation of results reports. The nine articles used as review materials discussed sexual health and early sexual reproduction in 101 respondents (21%) among sexually active students, 15 out of 89 students (16.9%) had low use of contraception, diseases of sexual health and reproduction (herpes simplex type-2, that is, women aged 14 who have experienced menarche have had sexual intercourse, HIV, which is 5.6% positive, as well as factors that affect sexual and reproductive health (45% education, 81.4% knowledge, economy due to low income, 60% sexual desire at the age of 14 years and only 11% who have not been sexually active at the age of 17 years). Early menarche and high sexual desire are health problems that have serious implications for adolescents. Provision of appropriate information and education on sexual and reproductive health for adolescents is urgently needed. It is hoped that the findings from the articles that have been reviewed can contribute to the importance of providing sex education from an early age.
Background: Teenagers aged 15-19 encounter a disproportionate burden of adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The urgent ongoing efforts are needed to lead healthy, safe, and productive lives of teenage girls. This scoping review aimed to identify the association of early menarche with negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Subjects and Method: A scoping review method was conducted in eight stages including (1) Identification of study problems; (2) Determining priority problem and study question; (3) Determining framework; (4) Literature searching; (5) Article selection; (6) Critical appraisal; (7) Data extraction; and (8) Mapping. The search included PubMed, EBSCO, and Wiley databases. The keywords were “effect” OR “outcomes” AND “menarche” OR “menstruation” OR “menstrua” OR “menses” OR “early menarche” AND “reproductive health” OR “sexual reproducti” AND “sexual behavior” OR “sexual debut” OR “sexual partners” OR “unsafe sex” OR “unprotected sex”. The inclusion criteria were English-language and full-text articles published between 2009 and 2019. A total of 116 full text articles was obtained. After the review process, nine articles were eligible. The data were reported by the PRISMA flow chart. Results: Four articles from developing countries (Nigeria, Malawi, Philippine) and five articles from developed countries (France, United States of America, England, Australia) met the inclusion criteria with cross-sectional and cohort design studies. The existing literature showed that early menarche was associated with sexual and reproductive health (early sexual initiation, low use of contraception), sexually transmitted diseases (genital herpes, HIV), and other factors (income, education level, sexual desire). Conclusion: Early age at menarche may contribute to the increase vulnerability of girls into negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Quality comprehensive sexual education may improve the sexual and reproductive health and well-being of adolescents. Keywords: early menarche, reproductive health, adolescent females Correspondence: Hanny Wulandari. Universitas Aisyiyah Yogyakarta. Jl. Ringroad Barat No.63, Mlangi Nogotirto, Gamping, Sleman, Yogyakarta 55592. Email: hannywulandari11@gmail.com. Mobile: +6281249747223. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26911/the7thicph.02.26
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.