Menarche, menstruation, sexual relations and contraception of adolescent females with down syndrome
Goldstein, H.
European Journal of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 27(4): 343-349
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-2115 PMID: 2968286 DOI: 10.1016/0028-2243(88)90048-2Document Number: 358274
The age of menarche, characteristics of the menstrual cycle, sexual activity and contraception of 15 Danish Down syndrome adolescents and 33 controls matched for age and residence were compared. The girls were born between January 1965 and December 1970 in Aarhus county, averaging 18.2 and 18.1 years old. The cohort of 15 Downs syndrome females, ascertained from Danish mental retardation and cytogenetic registers, was considered complete. Controls were randomly selected from medical clinic lists. The mean age of menarche was 13.6 (SD 20.9 months) for Downs patients, and 13.5 (SD 13.8) for controls. 86.7 and 87.9% of the groups had menstruated regularly since. Mean duration of bleeding was 5.5 and 5.4 days; mean length of the cycle was 28.3 and 28.6 days. 3 of the Downs patients were incapable of managing menstrual hygiene. No Downs syndrome subjects had, according to the interviewed person, with certainty, had sexual intercourse. 77.2% of the controls had been sexually active, according to their own statements. 3 of the Downs subjects used oral contraception, and 1 Depo-Provera, compared to reports of use of pills by 19, diaphragm by 3 and condom by 16 controls. This is a high incidence of regular ovulation among Downs syndrome females compared to some reports in the literature.