Menarche is your first period. It most commonly happens around age 12, but some people will start their periods earlier and some later. (1)

It often takes a few years before your period becomes more regular. (1)

How someone experiences menarche may impact the way they feel about their period for the rest of their life, particularly if they had a bad experience or didn’t understand what was happening to them.

When a girl’s first period is acknowledged and celebrated positively, rather than ignored or expressed as a negative, they are more likely to have a positive body image and to engage in healthy behaviours, such as seeing a gynaecologist. (2)

This makes it valuable for you to think back on your experience and how it may have impacted you, and if you’re a mother – how would you like your daughter to experience it?